An individual or an agency, as defined in section 237.1, shall not provide child foster care unless the individual or agency obtains a license issued by the administrator under this chapter. However, a license is not required of the following:
 1. An individual providing child foster care for a total of not more than twenty days in one calendar year.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 237.4

  • Administrator: means the administrator of that division of the department designated by the director of human services to administer this chapter or the administrator's designee. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • Agency: means a person, as defined in section 4. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • Child: means child as defined in section 234. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • Child foster care: means the provision of parental nurturing, including but not limited to the furnishing of food, lodging, training, education, supervision, treatment, or other care, to a child on a full-time basis by a person, including a relative of the child if the relative is licensed under this chapter, but not including a guardian of the child. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • Facility: means the personnel, program, physical plant, and equipment of a licensee. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute mean the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Individual: means an individual person or a married couple who provides child foster care in a single-family home environment and which does not meet the definition of an agency in subsection 2. See Iowa Code 237.1
  • Institution: means a birthing hospital. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • year: means twelve consecutive months. See Iowa Code 4.1
 2. A residential care facility licensed under chapter 135C which is approved for the care of children.
 3. A hospital licensed under chapter 135B.
 4. A health care facility licensed under chapter 135C.
 5. A juvenile detention home or juvenile shelter care home approved under section 232.142.
 6. An institution listed in section 218.1.
 7. A facility licensed under chapter 125.
 8. An individual providing child care as a babysitter at the request of a parent, guardian or relative having lawful custody of the child.
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