Resource and Assessment Centers.

A Resource and Assessment Center (RAC) provides short-term emergency and crisis care for a period up to 72 hours, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays to children who have been removed from their parent's or guardian's care by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) Child Protective Services (CPS) and/or law enforcement.  An RAC may provide care for children birth through age 12, or for children ages 13 through 17 who have a sibling or siblings under age 13 who are being admitted to the RAC.  An RAC may operate up to 24 hours a day, and up to 7 days per week.  An RAC may not be used to address placement disruptions for children who have been removed from a foster home because of behavior or safety concerns.

The DCYF may provide a license to an RAC if:

• there is a demonstrated need in the community;
• the RAC will be primarily staffed by trained volunteers; and
• the RAC is not financially dependent on reimbursement from the state to operate.

The licensing rules for an RAC allow:

• a sufficient number of trained volunteers to meet the staffing requirements;
• flexibility in hours of operation that allow the RAC to close if there are no children in its care; and
• the ability to operate in a residential area.

The RACs are no longer required to demonstrate that they are not dependent on reimbursement from the state to operate.

The RACs may:

• provide care for children birth through age 17 at the discretion of the RAC (instead of birth through age 12, and children ages 13 through 17 who have a sibling at the RAC);
• provide care for children for up to seven days, or up to 14 days with the DCYF approval (instead of up to 72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays); and
• be used to provide emergency initial care for children as they enter care and respite care, and address placement disruptions for children.