License Types

We recommend kinship caregivers become licensed. There is one type of license for all kinship caregivers. If you plan to apply for a kinship license, but do not have one yet, you may be able to get a temporary license.

Kinship license

A kinship license gives you extra support, including monthly payments to reimburse the costs of caring for a child or youth (these are called monthly foster care maintenance payments).

A license lasts for three years. You must apply to renew your license before it expires.

There are specific requirements for getting a kinship license.

Temporary licenses

If a child or youth has been placed in your home and you do not have a kinship license yet, you can ask about getting an initial license.

If you had a kinship or foster care license in the last five years, you may be eligible to get a provisional expedited license.

Initial license

An initial license is a 90-day license that allows you to get foster care maintenance payments while you care for a child or youth and apply for a full license.

This type of license lasts for 90 days. If 90 days pass and you still do not have your full license, we’ll stop your foster care maintenance payments. We’ll continue the payments only when you have a full kinship license.

If we issue you an initial license, and you later accept the placement of other children or youth, we can issue a new initial license to include the other children or youth.

There are specific requirements for getting an initial license.

Provisional expedited license

A provisional expedited license is a 90-day license that we may issue while you go through the application process for a full license.

You may only apply for this type of license if you had a foster or kinship license within the last five years. You must also complete and pass the fingerprint background check process. You must meet other specific requirements.

A provisional expedited license allows you to get foster care maintenance payments while you care for a child or youth, and apply for a full license.

If you apply for a provisional expedited license, we’ll also try to complete the home study process and make a decision about your full license within 90 calendar days.