Kansas Home Plus license: the 12-resident adult care home, its operator, and KDADS approval

What Kansas counts as a Home Plus

Kansas has no separate “adult family home” or “group home” license for older adults. All 24-hour residential care settings for adults are adult care homes, and Home Plus is one of the classifications KDADS licenses under a single act, alongside nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, residential healthcare facilities, boarding care homes and adult day care ⁠¹.

The statute defines a Home Plus as “any residence or facility caring for not more than 12 individuals” who are not related to the operator or owner within the third degree by blood or marriage and who, because of functional impairment, need personal care and may need supervised nursing care ⁠¹. Relatives within the third degree do not count toward the definition, unless the Secretary for Children and Families approved their placement ⁠¹.

There is no floor in the statute’s wording: the definition covers “not more than 12” unrelated individuals and names no minimum, so it starts at one unrelated resident. If you take one unrelated adult into your home for paid personal care, you are operating an adult care home, and doing that without a license is unlawful under K.S.A. 39-926 ⁠³.

The statute adds three provisions specific to Home Plus ⁠¹:

• An existing adult care home may convert part of one wing into a separate Home Plus of 5 to 12 beds, as long as the Home Plus stays separate from the adult care home and the two remain contiguous.
• A Home Plus caring for more than eight residents must adjust staffing and resources to keep up the level of nursing care.
• Staff who serve residents with dementia must take dementia care training every year.

Home Plus or a neighbouring license?

Kansas draws the lines by resident count, by the kind of living space, and by how independent residents are.

All figures are from K.S.A. 39-923 ⁠¹. A six-to-12-resident project could be licensed either way. The choice depends on the building: assisted living needs apartments and has its own construction rules (K.A.R. 28-39-254 to 256) with architect-sealed plans, while KDADS asks a Home Plus applicant only for a dimensioned drawing (the Fire Marshal’s code footprint still has to be sealed, as described below) ⁠². If you are planning apartments, see the Kansas assisted living facility guide.

The operator: registration or an administrator license

The person in charge is the first thing to settle. Since July 1, 2014, no Home Plus may operate unless it is supervised by a registered operator or a licensed adult care home administrator ⁠⁸. Calling yourself an operator without being registered is a class C misdemeanor ⁠⁷. KDADS’s application asks for the operator’s or administrator’s registration or license number on Line B ⁠³.

Under K.A.R. 26-42-101(b), the operator or administrator the licensee appoints must ⁠²:

• be at least 21;
• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• hold a Kansas adult care home administrator license, or have completed the operator training course and passed its test; and
• have authority and responsibility for running the home and meeting licensing requirements.

Operator registration adds an education-or-experience requirement. You need one of these: a high school diploma plus one year of relevant experience, an associate’s degree in a relevant field, or a bachelor’s degree ⁠⁶⁠⁷. “Relevant experience” includes work in business, hospitality, gerontology, or health and human services ⁠⁶.

The operator course runs at least 45 clock-hours, not counting breaks, lunch or test time. It must cover the Kansas statutes and regulations for Home Plus ⁠⁶. You can use the statutes and regulations during the test, and the passing score is 80%. If you fail, you get one retake on an alternate version. A second failure means taking the course again. The training provider must send your certificate within three weeks of the course ending ⁠⁶.

Operator registration fees, as published on 2026-10-12, under K.A.R. 26-39-505 ⁠⁶:

• $65 application fee, prorated if your first registration period is shorter than 24 months.
• $65 renewal fee. Registrations expire every two years on April 30.
• $35 late fee if you renew within the 30 days after expiration.
• $65 reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee if your registration lapses.

Each renewal requires 30 clock-hours of continuing education ⁠⁶.

The Home Plus rule still says the operator course is approved by the “secretary of Kansas department of health and environment” ⁠². The operator regulations say the course must be run by a long-term care provider organization, a community college, an area vocational-technical school, a postsecondary school under the Board of Regents, or an equivalent provider the KDADS secretary approves ⁠⁶. The official sources reviewed do not list the approved providers’ current course dates or tuition. Ask KDADS licensing ([email protected]) for the current provider list before you enroll ⁠⁵.

The written job description must authorize an employee aged 18 or older to act for you when you are away ⁠². If you change operator later, you must tell KDADS within two working days and send proof that the new operator completed the course ⁠².

The house: K.A.R. 28-39-437

Home Plus has its own short construction rule. The site must ⁠²:

• be served by all-weather roads;
• be free of noxious smoke or fumes;
• be at least 4,000 feet from concentrated livestock operations, including feedlots and shipping and holding pens;
• be free of flooding for a 100-year period; and
• have room for the building, drives, parking, sidewalks and an outdoor recreation area.

The 4,000-foot livestock setback is a real screen for rural Kansas properties, so check it before you buy.

All rows are from K.A.R. 28-39-437 ⁠². The bathroom ratio counts “individuals living in the facility” ⁠², which on a plain reading includes live-in staff or family, not just residents. The rule does not say whether a fraction rounds up, so ask KDADS how it counts a 12-resident home (2.4 bathrooms at 12 people).

The rule also requires a public telephone that people with disabilities can use, placed somewhere private enough for a private conversation ⁠². Residents who want to receive mail without staff intervention must be able to ⁠². K.A.R. 26-42-101(j) separately requires a free emergency telephone with emergency numbers posted beside it ⁠².

All new construction, renovation and changes in building use must meet local building and fire codes and the State Fire Marshal’s rules ⁠².

Fire Marshal review

Under K.S.A. 39-928, KDADS issues an adult care home license only with the State Fire Marshal’s approval. Provisional licenses also need the Fire Marshal’s sign-off ⁠¹⁰⁠¹¹. The KDADS Home Plus instructions list what the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) wants ⁠³:

• An 11 × 17 code footprint that complies with K.A.R. 22-1-7, sealed, signed and dated by a Kansas-licensed architect or engineer, submitted with forms C22 and C22A.
• Fire alarm plans and battery calculations sealed by a Kansas-licensed engineer, if the code requires an alarm system (NFPA 72).
• Sprinkler plans and hydraulic calculations sealed by a Kansas-licensed engineer, if the code requires sprinklers (NFPA 13).
• 30 days’ notice before the building is occupied, so OSFM can schedule its final inspection.

Submissions go as PDFs to [email protected] (785-296-3401) ⁠³. Even for an ordinary house, budget for a Kansas-licensed design professional to prepare the code footprint.

Applying, in order

KDADS’s construction packet and the licensure rule set out this sequence ⁠²⁠⁴:

1. Letter of intent

   Send it to KDADS’s Licensure and Certification Specialists and the Licensure, Certification and Enforcement Manager. Include the license type, the address, a contact person with phone and email, and the site’s legal description ⁠²⁠⁴.

2. Site inspection

   KDADS’s Physical Environment Specialist contacts you to arrange a site visit. You contact OSFM about the life safety code process ⁠⁴.

3. Drawing and plan review meeting

   For new construction or a conversion of an unlicensed building, send a drawing showing every room or area with its dimensions, with the rooms and areas K.A.R. 28-39-437 requires (K.A.R. 26-39-101(d)(5)) ⁠². The Physical Environment Specialist then schedules a plan review meeting and gives you the new construction guidelines and an environmental checklist. Report any later change to the drawings to KDADS ⁠⁴.

4. Business registration

   If you are operating as an entity, register it with the Kansas Secretary of State and name a resident agent. The application has to match the Secretary of State’s records ⁠³.

5. Application

   Complete the initial application with the supporting documents listed below. KDADS’s Home Plus instructions are titled for the Kansas Tracking of Adult Care Homes (KOTA) system, which KDADS uses for renewals and change requests, but they do not say how an initial application is filed, so confirm the filing method with the licensing specialists ⁠³⁠⁵.

6. Policies to KDADS

   Send the required policies and procedures to the Assistant Commissioner of the Survey, Certification and Credentialing Commission ⁠⁴.

7. Finish construction

   The home must be 100% complete before any inspection, and you must clear your punch list before the environmental inspection ⁠⁴.

8. Final inspections

   You schedule the OSFM final inspection. KDADS then conducts its environmental inspection with the checklist and sends you a written report ⁠⁴.

9. License

   KDADS issues the license once the application is complete, construction is finished, and the home and applicant meet the law ⁠². KDADS says supervisory review can take up to 90 days once the application is complete and error-free ⁠³.

The application packet must include these documents ⁠³⁠⁹:

• the recorded warranty deed;
• any signed lease, sublease or management agreement (each entity named needs its own Part II);
• a 12-month projected budget prepared under GAAP, certified by the applicant’s principal officer, with proof of working capital as cash, a line of credit, equity or a combination;
• a list of every facility in any state or country where you have held any ownership share, with its compliance and disciplinary history and any lawsuits; and
• résumés of the executives of each entity involved.

The regulation separately requires a balance sheet showing at least one month’s operating expenses in cash or owner’s equity ⁠². KDADS’s instructions state that neither a surety bond nor professional liability insurance is required for Home Plus ⁠³.

The policies KDADS lists for the packet are ⁠³:

• abuse, neglect and exploitation (K.A.R. 26-42-101(f), using K.S.A. 39-1401 definitions);
• admission, transfer and discharge (K.A.R. 26-39-102, 26-42-200);
• advance medical directives;
• disaster and emergency preparedness (K.A.R. 26-42-104);
• infection control (K.A.R. 26-42-207);
• resident rights (K.A.R. 26-42-101(d), 26-39-103); and
• adult day care and respite policies, if you will offer those services.

Fees as published on 2026-10-12

The statute leaves the amount to regulation ⁠¹². K.A.R. 26-39-101(k) sets it at $100 plus $30 for each resident of stated capacity. The fee is paid with the initial application and again with every annual report, and none of it is refunded if the application is denied ⁠².

Other fees:

• Capacity change: $100 plus $30 for each bed added or removed. The change takes effect on the first day of the month after KDADS approves it ⁠².
• Change of administrator mid-period: $15 ⁠¹².
• Operator registration: see the operator section above.

Staffing, nursing and training

The Home Plus rules set no numeric staff-to-resident ratio. They set standards instead ⁠²:

• Direct care staff or licensed nursing staff must be present and responsive at all times. The rule does not say whether that person must be awake overnight.
• There must be enough qualified staff to deliver each resident’s screening results, health care service plan and negotiated service agreement.
• A registered nurse must be available to supervise licensed practical nurses.
• A licensed nurse provides or coordinates health care services and must be available to give immediate direction to medication aides and nurse aides when residents have unscheduled needs.

Staff records. Each employee file needs proof of any license or certificate the job requires, a criminal background check under K.S.A. 39-970 (staff licensed or registered by a state agency are excluded), and a nurse aide registry check in Kansas and in every state where the person worked as a CNA ⁠². Under K.S.A. 39-970, no one may knowingly operate an adult care home where someone with disqualifying registry findings or convictions works ⁠¹⁴. KDADS may require fingerprinting, and an applicant has 20 calendar days after authorization to submit fingerprints ⁠¹⁴.

Training. New employees get an orientation, and all staff get regular in-service education. Required topics are fire prevention, disaster procedures, accident prevention, resident rights, infection control, and abuse, neglect and exploitation ⁠². Infection control in-service must happen at least yearly ⁠². Homes that admit residents with dementia must train staff on dementia behaviors at orientation and at least once a year after that ⁠¹⁠².

Emergencies. The emergency plan must cover fire, flood, severe weather, tornado, explosion, natural gas leaks, loss of power or water, and missing residents ⁠². You also need written agreements for fresh water, an evacuation site and transport to it. The plan must be reviewed with staff and residents every quarter, and at least once a year you must run a drill that evacuates residents to a secure location ⁠².

Who you can admit, and the paperwork for each resident

You may not admit or keep anyone whose condition requires physical restraints ⁠². You may admit or keep people with the following conditions only if the negotiated service agreement includes enough services to meet their needs ⁠²:

• incontinence the resident cannot or will not help manage;
• total dependence on others to get out of the building;
• any ongoing need for two or more people to physically assist;
• 24-hour skilled nursing; and
• behavior that exceeds manageability.

The rules require two documents for every resident ⁠²:

• Functional capacity screening. A licensed nurse, a licensed social worker or the operator does this on or before admission, using the KDADS form. It is repeated at least every 365 days, after any significant change, and quarterly if a paid nutrition assistant helps the resident eat. A licensed nurse must assess anyone the screening shows needs health care services.
• Negotiated service agreement. It is written at admission with the resident or their representative and the case manager. It describes each service, names who provides it and, where outside resources provide a service, who pays for it, and everyone involved in writing it signs it. It is reviewed on the same schedule as the screening. If the resident refuses a service staff consider necessary, the agreement records the risk and the resident’s acceptance of it.

Residents owe only the charges disclosed in the signed admission agreement ⁠². After a voluntary move-out notice, room and board charges stop at the end of 30 days, or on the actual discharge date if that comes later ⁠². Written grievances need a written response within 30 days ⁠². A resident shares a bedroom only if they agree to it ⁠².

You must keep resident records for at least five years after discharge ⁠². Annual and semiannual statistical reports go to KDADS electronically within 20 days after each reporting period ends ⁠². Any allegation of abuse, neglect or exploitation must be reported to KDADS within 24 hours and investigated within five working days ⁠².

A Home Plus may also offer adult day care to people who meet its admission criteria, if it has at least 60 square feet of common living, dining and activity space for each resident and day participant combined ⁠². It may also offer short-term respite care ⁠². Both services require written policies. A freestanding day program is a separate license; see the Kansas adult day care guide.

Medications

Residents may manage their own medications, including from containers prefilled by a nurse, a pharmacist or unpaid family. This requires a licensed nurse’s assessment before they start, after any significant change and every year ⁠².

When the home manages medications, these rules apply ⁠²:

• Only licensed nurses and medication aides may give them, and medication aides may not use the parenteral route.
• Only a nurse or pharmacist may take verbal orders, and the prescriber must sign them within seven working days.
• Medications must be locked, with controlled drugs in a separately locked compartment.
• A pharmacist or licensed nurse must review each resident’s medication regimen at least quarterly and after any significant change.
• Residents who manage their own medications must be offered the same quarterly review.

Inspections, renewal and changes

KDADS must make at least one unannounced inspection of each adult care home within 15 months of the previous one, with a statewide average interval of no more than 12 months ⁠¹³. The latest survey report and plan of correction must be available in a common area ⁠².

The license stays in effect only while you file the annual report and pay the annual fee. If you miss either, the license is automatically canceled ⁠¹⁰. Renewal is filed in KOTA, and KDADS sends an electronic notice to the administrator before the due date ⁠⁵. Licensing questions go to [email protected] ⁠⁵.

A license covers only the premises and persons named on it. It cannot be transferred, and it must be posted in the home ⁠¹⁰. Other changes:

• Sale or new licensee: give KDADS written notice at least 60 days before the change, and the new licensee files its own application ⁠².
• Unable to meet every standard yet: KDADS can issue a provisional license for up to six months, with Fire Marshal approval, plus one more six-month period. A change of ownership does not restart that clock ⁠¹¹.

Running more than one home

An operator or administrator can supervise more than one licensed home only with KDADS’s prior authorization ⁠². The homes must be close enough for daily on-site supervision ⁠². The limits are ⁠²:

• Homes Plus: no more than four for either an operator or an administrator.
• Operator: combined capacity across assisted living, residential healthcare, Home Plus and adult day care of no more than 60.
• Administrator: combined capacity of no more than 120.

Medicaid: the Frail Elderly waiver

The KDADS Frail Elderly (FE) waiver pays for some but not all of the services delivered in a Home Plus, following the resident’s plan of care. The resident is responsible for room and raw food costs ⁠¹⁵. FE eligibility requires age 65, a score at the Medicaid nursing facility threshold, and financial eligibility for Medicaid ⁠¹⁵.

Waiver services include personal care, medication reminders, wellness monitoring and enhanced care services ⁠¹⁵. The KDADS licensure page sends HCBS providers to the Kansas Medical Assistance Program (KMAP) website for enrollment information ⁠⁵. The sources reviewed do not state the steps or the rates for a Home Plus to bill the waiver, so ask KDADS and KMAP provider enrollment what a Home Plus must file and what each service pays.

Open questions as of 2026-10-12

• KDADS’s Home Plus regulation compilation was published in May 2024. The official Kansas Register sites could not be checked for amendments since then.
• No certificate of need requirement for adult care homes appears in the statutes reviewed, but no official statement that none applies was found.
• Kansas has no statewide zoning rule for Homes Plus in the sources reviewed. Check with the city or county before you commit to a property.

Sources

1. 1
   Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-923, Adult care homes: definitions Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
2. 2
   Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Statutes and Regulations for the Licensure and Operation of Home Plus (K.A.R. 26-39-101, 26-42-101 to 26-42-207, 28-39-437) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
3. 3
   Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Instructions for Completing Initial Applications and Changes of Ownership for Home Plus Facilities (KOTA) Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
4. 4
   Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, New Construction Information for Home Plus and Adult Day Care Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
5. 5
   Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Adult Care Home Licensure and Certification Information Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
6. 6
   Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Operator regulations, K.A.R. 26-39-500 to 26-39-506 Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
7. 7
   Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-975, Registration of operators Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
8. 8
   Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-976, Operator registration or administrator license required Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
9. 9
   Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-927, Application for license; contents Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
10. 10
    Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-928, Issuance of license; annual report; nontransferable Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
11. 11
    Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-929, Provisional license Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
12. 12
    Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-930, License fee Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
13. 13
    Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-935, Inspections Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
14. 14
    Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, K.S.A. 39-970, Background checks of adult care home employees Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑
15. 15
    Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Frail Elderly (FE) waiver Checked 12 Oct 2026 · Back to text ↑

Was this information accurate? Report an errorPrint or save as PDF