Page updated: 10/22/25

Note: Family residential service (FRS) with a service renewal or new service start date of April 1, 2026, or later are tiered-rate services. For additional information about FRS tiered rates, refer to RMS User Manual – FRS: DWRS tiered-rate services.

These rules guide lead agencies and provider agencies as they determine a person’s staffing level in a family foster care setting. Use these rules as annual renewals and service changes occur. Do not apply these rules retroactively.

1. Primary contact

Each lead agency’s DWRS rates mentor is the primary contact for residential staffing discussions. The rates mentor works with provider agencies and rates mentors from other lead agencies to ensure appropriate staffing ratios are in place.

2. Service planning discussion

The lead agency chooses to authorize or not to authorize the level of service for each person based on each person’s assessed needs. For additional information, refer to RMS User Manual – Service planning and authorization.

3. Licensed capacity

Shared staffing is based on licensed capacity.

Exception

If the provider and lead agency agree a temporary reduction from the licensed capacity is necessary to benefit the person/people living in a home, then licensed capacity may be based on the number of residents for an agreed-upon amount of time.

This exception:

· Is not intended to address vacancy.

· Must be planned.

In this arrangement:

· The lead agency and provider must agree on an appropriate duration of this exception.

· The rates mentor from the affected lead agency determines the need and duration of the temporary reduction of licensed capacity.

4. Service changes

All necessary RMS and service authorization staffing changes will begin the later of the following dates:

· The date of the change in the person’s staffing support.

· The date of the notification of change with complete information to the lead agency.

Providers must report increases and decreases in staffing support to the lead agency within 30 days of the change.

Examples of changes include:

· Employment changes.

· Individual injury or illness.

· School changes.

5. Daytime staffing hours

During weekday hours, shared staffing is divided by the number of people who use the staff support.

Use the residential daytime staffing hours worksheets (.XLS) to calculate this information. These worksheets allow you to include both planned and unplanned staffing hours in a person’s RMS staffing calculation. There are two worksheets:

· Use the “weekday daytime hours for individuals regularly home during the day” worksheet in situations where multiple people, but not all, are regularly home during the weekday.

· Only use the “daytime hours for individuals not regularly home during the day” worksheet when additional staff is called in to care for the person in the event that the person is unexpectedly home on a weekday. Do not use this worksheet when direct care or administrative staff is already present and no additional staff is brought in.

6. Direct care staffing hours

Staffing hours are based on the person’s assessed needs. The number of licensed providers and/or staff in the home does not drive the staffing hours for a person. If there is only one licensed provider or staff member in the home, that person cannot provide both individual and shared staffing hours during the same time.

Do not count staffing hours for time when the person both:

· Is able to be alone.

· Does not need staff available on site to respond.

Lead agencies and providers:

· Should only enter licensed practical nurse (LPN) hours for the hours the person requires 1:1 LPN assessment and treatment.
Note: The person providing the LPN nursing hours must be a licensed LPN.

· Should only enter registered nurse (RN) hours for the hours the person requires 1:1 RN assessment and treatment.
Note: The person providing the RN nursing hours must be a licensed RN.

If the person needs staffing hours outside of 1:1 LPN and/or RN assessment and treatment, the lead agency and provider should enter those hours as direct care staffing hours, regardless of whether the person providing services is a licensed LPN or RN.

The lead agency and provider can only enter remote monitoring staffing hours when the direct care staff members are physically not present in the setting but engaged in real-time service provision.

Note: Remote monitoring likely will not occur in a family foster care setting because the staff would be physically present in the setting.

7. Overnight hours

For awake overnight hours, the same staff person cannot provide continuous daytime and overnight hours without sleeping. A second staff person must provide the care.

In a family foster care setting, if the person receiving services does not require awake overnight staffing, the licensed provider enters asleep overnight staffing hours.