Sec. 17a-154. (Formerly Sec. 17-52a). "Permanent family residence". Definition. Requirements.

      Sec. 17a-154. (Formerly Sec. 17-52a). "Permanent family residence". Definition. Requirements. (a) For purposes of this section and section 17a-155, "permanent family residence" means a child care facility which meets the requirements of subsection (b) of this section and subsection (a) of section 17a-155 and which is licensed as a permanent family residence by the Department of Children and Families, hereinafter referred to as the department.

      (b) To be licensed as a permanent family residence, a child care facility must meet the following requirements:

      (1) The facility must be designed to provide permanent care to handicapped children in a home environment and family setting;

      (2) At the time the initial license is issued, the permanent family care must be provided by two adult persons, hereinafter referred to as the parents, or upon the commissioner's approval, one adult whose principal residence is the permanent family residence, who may, but need not, have children other than foster children living with them;

      (3) The parent or parents must occupy, as their principal residence, a building which is designed for residential use by one or two families and which is: (A) Owned or leased by the parent or parents or (B) owned or leased by a nonstock corporation, one of whose purposes is to protect handicapped children by providing a home environment and family setting for handicapped children;

      (4) The principal occupation of at least one parent and, in appropriate cases to be determined by the department, both parents, must be to provide direct and regular care to the foster children placed in their residence; and

      (5) The parent or parents must have indicated their intent to provide permanent foster care to handicapped children placed in their home by the department or by other child-placing agencies.

      (c) Permanent family residences licensed by the department pursuant to the provisions of this section and section 17a-155 shall be deemed private dwellings occupied by one family by the Commissioner of Public Health for purposes of compliance with the State Public Health Code and by the Commissioner of Public Safety for purposes of compliance with the State Building and Fire Safety Codes.

      (P.A. 80-261, S. 1, 2, 4, 7; P.A. 88-94, S. 1, 3; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)

      History: P.A. 88-94 amended Subdiv. (2) to permit one adult to provide permanent family care and made technical revisions in Subdivs. (3) and (5) to reflect such change; Sec. 17-52a transferred to Sec. 17a-154 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.