Iowa Foster Care Application Forms: Form 470-0720 and What Comes With It

Most people who start the Iowa foster care process underestimate the paperwork. When you pick up your initial application packet through Iowa HHS or a recruitment contractor like Four Oaks, you are not just filling out one form — you are beginning a documentation chain that covers criminal history, physical health, home layout, financial stability, and personal references. Each form connects to a specific requirement in Iowa Administrative Code 441-113.

Here is a breakdown of the forms involved, what each one does, and where each fits in the licensing sequence.

Form 470-0720: The License Application

Form 470-0720 is the formal application for a foster family home license. It is the document that officially opens your file with Iowa HHS and triggers the background check process. You submit it to your HHS service area or through your assigned recruitment and retention contractor.

The application collects basic information about:

• All adults in the household (names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers for background check authorization)
• Previous addresses — if you have lived in another state in the past five years, you must disclose this so out-of-state registry checks can be initiated
• Previous marriages and divorces (copies of divorce decrees are typically required)
• Prior foster care or child welfare involvement

Submitting Form 470-0720 as soon as possible matters because out-of-state background checks — if needed — can take two to three months to return. Every week of delay in submitting the application is a week added to the end of your timeline.

Form 595-1396: Record Check Authorization

Alongside the license application, you will complete Form 595-1396, which authorizes Iowa HHS to run the criminal and abuse registry checks. This form covers:

• State criminal history (Iowa DCI check)
• Iowa Central Abuse Registry
• Sex Offender Registry

The FBI fingerprint check is authorized separately through the Identogo or Fieldprint network using a code your licensing worker provides. The fingerprint check is what enables the national (federal) criminal history search.

Form 470-0580: Physical Examination Report

Iowa requires all applicants to complete a physical examination by a licensed health care provider — an MD, DO, Physician Assistant, or ARNP. The results are submitted on Form 470-0580.

The exam confirms that the applicant is physically able to care for children and does not have a condition that would impair their parenting capacity over time. Key points:

• TB testing is no longer universally required but may be recommended based on local health department guidance or the applicant's health history
• The form must be completed by a licensed provider — a chiropractor or naturopath signature is not accepted
• Iowa does not specify how recent the exam must be, but your licensing worker will typically want it completed during the active application window

Every adult applicant must complete a separate physical. If you and your spouse are both applying, you each need your own Form 470-0580.

Form 470-5097: Home Floor Plan

Iowa requires a basic floor plan sketch of your home as part of the application. Form 470-5097 — or a simple hand-drawn equivalent — shows room dimensions, sleeping areas, exits, and fire safety equipment locations.

This is not an architectural drawing — a clean diagram showing room layout, square footage estimates, and where smoke detectors and fire extinguishers are located is sufficient. The home floor plan is used by the licensing worker to prepare for the physical inspection before they arrive.

Form 470-0695: Physical Inspection of Home

Form 470-0695 is the checklist the inspector uses during the home walk-through. It is the document you should obtain and self-evaluate against before the inspection visit.

The checklist covers bedroom square footage, sleeping arrangements, smoke and CO detectors, fire extinguisher rating (minimum 2A:10BC), firearm storage, medication storage, pool fencing, and exterior safety. Each item on the form must be confirmed before the inspector signs off.

Form 470-0709 / Form 470-0727: Decision Documents

After all checks are complete and the home study is approved, Iowa HHS issues:

• Form 470-0709: The Notice of Decision — used to communicate both approvals and denials, and to document any provisional conditions
• Form 470-0727: The Certificate of License — the actual foster care license issued when everything is approved

If you receive a denial notice (Form 470-0709 with a denial decision), the appeal rights and timeframe are stated on the form itself.

Form 470-3341: Medication Management Quiz

Before a child can be placed in your home, you must complete a medication management training and pass a 10-question assessment (Form 470-3341). This covers how to administer, document, and store medications for children in care. The quiz can be completed at home after reviewing the Iowa HHS medication management booklet provided by your recruitment contractor.

Personal References and Financial Disclosure

Iowa requires at least three personal references from non-relatives. These are not formal documents — your licensing worker provides reference letters or forms to send to your references, who submit them directly. Iowa HHS contacts each reference as part of the home study process.

Financial disclosure is part of the home study narrative, not a standalone form. You will document income sources, debts, and monthly expenses to demonstrate that your household does not depend on foster care reimbursement to meet basic financial obligations. Under Iowa Code 441-113.12, the "sufficiency" standard is what matters — your income covers your current household expenses without the foster care reimbursement.

What IAC 441-113 Covers

Iowa Administrative Code 441 Chapter 113 is the regulatory chapter governing foster family home licensing standards. It is the legal foundation behind every form on this list. The chapter covers:

• Eligibility requirements for foster parents (age, residency, relationship stability)
• Physical standards for the home (bedrooms, safety equipment)
• Prohibited practices (corporal punishment, unauthorized discipline)
• Licensing types (full, provisional, treatment foster care)
• Renewal requirements

Reading IAC 441-113 directly is useful for understanding what the rules actually require — but it is written in regulatory language rather than plain English. Most families find it easier to work through a licensing guide or directly with their recruitment contractor to understand what it means in practice.

Keeping Your Paperwork Organized

The Iowa licensing process involves roughly 8 to 12 documents, each with different submission timing and recipients. The most common delay is waiting on something that was not requested early enough — particularly out-of-state registry checks, physical exam appointments, or reference submissions.

The Iowa Foster Care Licensing Guide includes a complete document tracking checklist with submission sequence, estimated processing times, and what each form is for — so you can manage the paperwork pipeline without missing anything.

See more United States guides →