Child Developmental Home Licensing in Arizona

What is a Child Developmental Home?

A Child Developmental Home (CDH) is an Arizona DDD-licensed residence where a caregiver provides full-time, in-home care for children with developmental disabilities. Unlike a group home or institutional setting, a CDH is a private family home — yours — with one or two children placed by the state, integrated into your daily family life.

CDH providers play a unique role in Arizona's foster and developmental disability system. The licence covers what state regulations call "out-of-home care," and it pairs the structure of foster care with the specialized training needed to support children who have intellectual or developmental disabilities, medical complexities, or behavioral support needs.

What CDH providers do

As a licensed CDH provider, you become the primary caregiver for a child placed in your home. The day-to-day looks much like parenting any other child — getting them to school, helping with homework, cooking dinner, going to medical appointments — while integrating any specific care or therapy needs the child has.

Specifically, CDH providers:

• Provide a stable home — typically your own, with a dedicated bedroom for the child
• Coordinate medical, dental, and therapy care — including transportation to appointments
• Support the child's relationship with their biological family — including hosting visits and encouraging reunification when applicable
• Participate in the child's care team — case staffings, planning meetings, school IEPs, court hearings if applicable
• Use approved discipline and behavior management practices — Article 9 training is required and covers this in depth
• Document the child's progress and communicate with case managers and licensing staff

Eligibility and home requirements

Anyone can apply, but Arizona DDD has specific requirements every CDH applicant must meet:

• Pass a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance through Arizona DPS (every adult in the household)
• Pass APS, CPS, and Adam Walsh Act registry checks
• Be at least 21 years old
• Have a valid Arizona driver's license or transportation plan
• Pass a home life-safety inspection (working smoke/CO detectors, fenced pools, locked firearms, etc.)
• Complete Article 9, CPR, and First Aid certification
• Complete Foster Parent College coursework (CDH-specific)

You don't need to own your home — renters can apply with written landlord approval. Apartment placements are reviewed case-by-case during the home study.

How Caregiving Solutions supports your CDH licensing

The Arizona DDD licensing packet is roughly 50 pages of forms, attestations, and narrative responses. Most applicants stall halfway through. Caregiving Solutions exists to handle that paperwork burden so you can focus on preparing your home.

Specifically, we provide:

• Article 9, CPR, and First Aid training coordination — scheduled around your work
• Fingerprint clearance card guidance — including the appeals process if needed
• The full LCR-1054A application packet — broken into a step-by-step online application that auto-saves your progress
• Home study coordination — Tracy schedules and conducts the home visit
• Life-safety inspection prep — checklist and walkthrough so you pass on the first try
• Direct submission to Arizona DDD on your behalf
• Ongoing post-licensing support — monthly check-ins, training renewals, and placement coordination

How to start your CDH application

Begin with our 3-step pre-qualification form on the homepage. It takes less than 5 minutes and asks the questions Arizona DDD will ask you anyway — felony history, fingerprint clearance status, household composition, and your motivation for becoming a provider.

Savannah reviews every application within 1 business day. If you're a good fit, she'll call you to walk through the next steps and schedule your training. If something in your background needs a closer look, we'll tell you upfront — Arizona has a "good cause clearance" process for many older offenses, and we help applicants navigate it when appropriate.