How to Prepare for a Foster Care Home Inspection in West Virginia

The home inspection for foster care licensing in West Virginia is the step that catches the most families off guard — not because the standards are unreasonable, but because the specific requirements for rural properties are poorly communicated by BSS until you are in the middle of the process. If your home is on well water and a private septic system (which describes a large portion of West Virginia housing), the inspection includes an environmental health evaluation with its own forms, fees, and failure points that most families learn about only when the sanitarian shows up. Preparing for these requirements before your inspection is the difference between getting licensed on schedule and losing weeks or months to retesting and repairs.

The Bureau for Children and Families (BCF) is not looking for a perfect home. They are looking for a safe, clean environment that meets the specific standards set out in CSR 78-2. Your house does not need to be new, large, or expensive. It needs to be free of hazards, compliant with basic safety requirements, and — if rural — cleared through the environmental health evaluation. Most homes that fail inspection fail on fixable issues that would have taken a weekend to address if the family had known about them in advance.

The Two Parts of a West Virginia Home Inspection

The inspection is effectively two evaluations conducted either simultaneously or sequentially:

1. The safety and standards inspection covers the physical living environment — bedrooms, fire safety, hazard storage, and general livability. This is conducted by your BSS homefinding specialist as part of the home study process.

2. The environmental health evaluation applies to homes on private water systems (wells) and private sewage systems (septic tanks). This is coordinated through your county health department and involves a sanitarian who evaluates water quality and septic function. This evaluation requires a specific form (SG-55) and involves separate fees.

Families on municipal water and sewer only face the first evaluation. Families on well water and septic face both. Since much of West Virginia is rural, the environmental health evaluation is the more consequential and less-understood component.

Environmental Health Evaluation: What the Sanitarian Checks

Well Water Bacteriological Analysis

Every home on a private well must provide a satisfactory water sample before foster care licensing can be approved. The county health department will collect or instruct you to collect a water sample that is tested for total coliform bacteria and E. coli.

How to prepare:

• Contact your county health department and request a bacteriological water test. The lab fee is typically $25 to $50 depending on the county.
• If your well has not been tested recently, do a preliminary test on your own through a state-certified lab before the official inspection. This gives you time to remediate if contamination is found.
• Common contamination sources in West Virginia wells: surface water infiltration through a damaged well cap or casing, proximity to the septic system (minimum separation distances apply), and seasonal runoff after heavy rain.
• If your well fails: you will need to shock-chlorinate the well (introduce a bleach solution, run all faucets until you smell chlorine, let sit 12-24 hours, flush thoroughly) and retest after at least one week. The retest incurs an additional lab fee.

Septic System Dye Test

The sanitarian may conduct a dye test to verify that your septic system is functioning properly. A fluorescent dye is introduced into the system (usually flushed down a toilet), and the sanitarian checks the yard and drain field area for any surfacing of dyed water, which would indicate a system failure.

How to prepare:

• Have your septic tank pumped if it has not been serviced in the past 12 months. Keep the pump receipt — BSS may ask for it.
• Walk your drain field area before the inspection. Look for wet spots, standing water, sewage odor, or unusually lush vegetation in one area. These are signs of a failing drain field.
• If your system is old or you suspect problems, have it inspected by a licensed septic professional before the official evaluation. Fixing a drain field issue after the inspection fails takes weeks and can cost thousands of dollars.

The SG-55 Form

The "Request for Home Loan Evaluation" (Form SG-55) is the form you file with your county health department to initiate the environmental health evaluation. Despite its name suggesting home loans, it applies to foster care licensing inspections.

What you need to know:

• The SG-55 must be completed and filed with your county health department, along with the evaluation fee (typically $50).
• The health department then schedules the sanitarian visit.
• Turnaround varies by county. Some county health departments schedule within a week; others may take a month. File the SG-55 as early in the licensing process as possible — do not wait until BSS tells you to.

Safety and Standards Inspection: Room by Room

The BCF safety inspection evaluates your home against the standards in CSR 78-2. Here is what the homefinding specialist checks in each area.

Bedrooms

• Individual beds required. Every foster child must have their own bed — no cots, roll-away beds, or floor mattresses. Cribs for infants must meet current safety standards with no drop-side rails.
• Maximum four children per bedroom. No more than four children can share a room.
• No opposite-sex sharing. Children of opposite sexes cannot share a bedroom (age exemptions may apply for very young children, but the general rule is strict).
• No sharing with adults. Foster children cannot sleep in the same room as foster parents or other adults in the home.
• Adequate storage. Each child needs their own space for clothing and personal items — a dresser drawer or section of a closet is sufficient.

Fire Safety

• Smoke detectors. Battery-operated smoke detectors must be installed near bedrooms and on each level of the home. Test them before the inspection and replace batteries.
• Fire extinguisher. At least one working fire extinguisher must be accessible in the kitchen area.
• Flashlight. A working flashlight must be available for emergencies.
• Fire escape plan. You should have a basic fire escape plan with two exits from each bedroom. You do not need a written plan posted on the wall, but the homefinding specialist may ask about it.

Hazardous Materials

• Medications. All prescription and over-the-counter medications must be stored in a locked cabinet or container inaccessible to children.
• Cleaning supplies. Household chemicals and cleaning products must be stored in locked or child-proof cabinets.
• Alcohol. Alcoholic beverages must be stored in a locked cabinet or area inaccessible to children.
• Firearms. All guns must be stored in a locked gun safe or cabinet. Ammunition must be stored separately from firearms, also locked. The homefinding specialist will ask about firearms and will verify storage.

General Home Condition

• Running water and functional plumbing. Hot and cold water must be available.
• Adequate heating. The home must maintain a safe temperature. Space heaters may be flagged — if you rely on them, ensure they meet safety standards and are positioned away from bedding and curtains.
• Clean and sanitary conditions. The home does not need to be spotless, but it should be clean, free of pest infestations, and in reasonable repair.
• Outdoor hazards. Unfenced pools must have locked covers or barriers. Trampolines may be questioned. Abandoned vehicles, open wells, and unsecured outbuildings should be addressed.

Pre-Inspection Checklist Summary

Who This Is For

• Prospective foster parents preparing for their first BSS home inspection and wanting to pass on the first visit
• Rural families on well water and septic systems who need to understand the environmental health evaluation before it happens
• Families in older homes or manufactured homes who are unsure whether their property will meet BCF standards
• Anyone whose home inspection has been scheduled and who wants a specific list of what to fix, test, and document before the visit
• Kinship caregivers who received a child placement and now need to bring their home into compliance for formal licensing

Who This Is NOT For

• Families on municipal water and sewer whose homes are in good repair — the environmental health evaluation is not applicable, and the safety inspection is straightforward
• Families licensing through a private child-placing agency that provides its own inspection preparation support
• Anyone looking for information about the home study interview (which is a separate component covering your personal history, motivations, and parenting philosophy) rather than the physical home inspection

Tradeoffs

Preparing early costs time but saves months. Filing the SG-55, scheduling a well water test, and getting your septic tank pumped before the inspection is scheduled takes effort. But each of these items, if failed during the inspection, adds weeks to months of delay before you can retest and reschedule. Rural families who prepare proactively get licensed in 3 to 4 months. Families who discover requirements during the inspection often take 6 to 9 months.

The environmental health evaluation is the hardest part to recover from. Safety items like smoke detectors, cabinet locks, and fire extinguishers can be fixed the same day the inspection identifies them. Well water contamination and septic system failures cannot. The well chlorination and retest cycle alone adds a minimum of two weeks. A failed septic system can require professional repair costing $2,000 to $10,000. Testing these systems before your official inspection is the most protective step you can take.

West Virginia's standards are achievable for most homes. BCF is not looking for a mansion. They are looking for a home where a child will be safe, clean, and have their own bed in a room that is not overcrowded. The overwhelming majority of West Virginia homes — including older farmhouses, manufactured homes, and modest rural properties — can meet these standards with straightforward preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the home inspection cost? The BSS safety inspection itself has no fee. The environmental health evaluation (for homes on well water and septic) involves fees through the county health department: typically $50 for the SG-55 evaluation plus $25-$50 for the water lab analysis. Total out-of-pocket for a rural home: approximately $75 to $100.

Can I fail the inspection and try again? Yes. A failed inspection does not disqualify you from fostering. You address the identified issues and request a reinspection. However, each failed inspection adds weeks to your licensing timeline, and reinspection scheduling depends on your county health department's availability.

Will my manufactured home pass inspection? Manufactured homes can pass if they meet the same safety standards as site-built homes. Key items: proper foundation anchoring, complete skirting, egress windows in bedrooms, and functioning smoke detectors. The environmental health requirements (well water, septic) apply regardless of home type.

How long does the inspection take? The BSS safety walkthrough typically takes 1 to 2 hours. The environmental health evaluation (sanitarian visit) takes 30 minutes to an hour, plus the time for lab results to come back (usually 1 to 2 weeks for water testing).

Do I need to make repairs before the inspection or can I commit to fixing things after? BSS may allow minor corrections to be made after the inspection with a follow-up verification, but significant safety or environmental health issues must be resolved before licensing can be approved. The safest approach is to address everything on the checklist before the initial visit.

What if I rent and cannot make structural changes? You need your landlord's written consent to foster in a rental property. For items like cabinet locks and smoke detectors, most landlords will permit installation. For structural issues (well water, septic), the responsibility falls to the property owner. Discuss foster care licensing requirements with your landlord before beginning the application.

The West Virginia Foster Care Licensing Guide includes the complete pre-inspection checklist with environmental health preparation, room-by-room safety requirements, and the documentation you need to have ready for both the BSS specialist and the county sanitarian.

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