Residential Care and Special Population Licensing

Download the license application forms (initial application and renewal).
Current licensing fees
Forms
Incident Reporting

The completed application form and applicable fees should be submitted to:

DCFS Licensing
PO Box 260036
Baton Rouge, LA 70826
Phone: (225) 342-4350
FAX: (225) 663-3166

Residential Home

Residential homes are any place, facility, or home operated by any institution, society, agency, corporation, person or persons, or any other group to provide full-time care, 24 hours per day, for more than four children, who may remain at the facility in accordance with R.S. 46:1403.1, who are not related to the operators and, except as provided in this Paragraph, whose parents or guardians are not residents of the same facility, with or without transfer of custody. However, a child of a person who is a resident of a residential home may reside with that parent at the same facility.

Maternity Home

Maternity homes are any place in which any person, society, agency, corporation, or facility receives, treats or cares for within a period of six months, more than one illegitimately pregnant woman, either before, during or within two weeks after childbirth. This definition shall not include any place or facility which receives and provides services for women who receive maternity care in the home of a relative within the sixth degree of kindred, computed according to civil law, or general or special hospitals in which maternity treatment and care is part of the medical services performed and the care of children only brief and incidental.

Child Placing Agencies with Subprograms of:

Foster Care Services - a child placing agency that places children into an approved family foster home for a planned period of substitute care when their own families cannot or will not care for them. Substitute Family Care Programs are no longer licensed by the Department of Children & Family Services
Adoption Services - a child-placing agency that places children in a family household of one or more persons that has been approved by the agency to accept a child for adoption.
Transitional Placing Services - a program that places youth, at least 16 years of age, in an independent living situation supervised by a provider with the goal of preparing the youth for living independently without supervision.

Juvenile Detention Facility

Juvenile detention facilities provide temporary safe and secure custody of youth during the pendency of juvenile proceedings, when detention is the least restrictive alternative available to secure the appearance of the youth in court or to protect the safety of the child or the public, as described in R.S. 15:1110.

Facilities licensed by DCFS

View a list of licensed facilities -- NOTE: The inspection visits list is current only through December 2019.

To obtain the latest inspection information:

Submit a records request through the DCFS Public Records Center.
Contact DCFS.

Licensing Requirements

The licensing regulations for the programs listed below are available online by selecting a program type.

Initial Applications

For initial applications, a fee of $25.00 is required with the application packet. This non-refundable fee will be applied toward the license fee when the facility is licensed. All fees are to be paid by certified check or money order made payable to the Department of Children & Family Services. Do NOT send cash, business or personal checks. Initial applications will remain on file and open for 45 days. Applications on file for more than 45 days will be closed. The application packet shall include the application form and all additional items required by the regulations (Please refer to the "Initial Licensing Application Process" Section of the corresponding regulations for a list of items to submit.) It is the responsibility of the applicant to obtain the inspections made by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, Office of Public Health, Sanitarian Services, and any other appropriate local agencies (Zoning Department, City Fire Department, etc.) and get the approvals.

After the application packet and initial fee have been received and processed, you will be contacted by DCFS to schedule the initial inspection survey by a Licensing Specialist. All of the appropriate agencies listed above must give their approval prior to licensure and occupancy. Any additional licensure fees are due after the initial inspection and prior to issuance of a license.

Note: Legislation passed during the 2009 Regular Legislative Session (HB 728-Act 381) transferred the licensing and regulation of adult residential care homes to DHH. Physical transfer of programs took place in July 2010. Contact DHH Health Standards at (225) 342-0138.