What safety requirements are needed in a foster carers home ie smoke alarms etc?

Answer 1

Foster care is generally regulated by state laws and each state can adopt (ha!) its own regulations in addition to selecting and implementing life safety code, building code and fire code pertinent to such occupancies.

For instance, the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code has a chapter on "Residential Board and Care" facilities and the required fire inspection would include each and every element covered in that chapter.

As a general rule, however, foster homes are held to a higher standard than other privately owned one- or two-family dwellings, at least to the extent they must be opened periodically for official inspection. For example, your state may require a smoke and CO detector in your private home, but they cannot possibly know whether you have one unless you permit some official to enter, whereas a licensed foster home has no choice but to permit such inspection, perhaps annually.