Becoming a Foster Parent
What is required for people offering foster care
Becoming a foster parent is a rewarding experience. Here is a primer on what you can expect if you consider getting licensed.
In the United States there are over 500,000 children in state care who are currently in, or in need of a placement outside their biological families. These children vary in age from infancy to teenagers, all have one thing in common: they need a stable, loving place to live. Some have mental or physical disabilites but all need a positive force present in their life and that’s where a becoming a foster parent comes into play.
Foster care is a system by which adults care for minor children, or young children who are not able to live with their parents. It is such a simple definition for such a great and fulfilling task that almost anyone can take on, and in doing so change the life of a child who needs the help desperately. Yes, your life will change if you choose to become a foster parent; this change is inconsequential though if you look deeper and see the amount of help you can give.
Some of the basic requirements to become a foster parent are:
completion of an application for family home license
- background check, criminal history check and finger-printing of each adult member of the household
- family stability
- a home inspection and personal interview
- character references
- you must be over 21 to become a foster parent and
- prior to licensure/certificationyou pre-service training
There are many websites that can lead you in the right direction to become a foster parent, including Adopt Us Kids and the National Foster Parent Association. Both are great places to start if you aren’t ready to contact your state offices yet, and their websites can provide you with the basics and more about becoming foster parent.
Becoming a foster parent is a life-changing decision, both for you and for the child or children who will become part of your family. Your home state Department of Children and Families offers training for foster parents and will guide and train you on the entire process. They are also there for your through placements and during the entire time a child is in your home. They are your resource for all things that concern the children you are caring for.
Your life will be turned upside down when your first foster child is placed with you; you have to re-arrange your family to include new people. But rest assured, the benefits far outweigh the small amount of chaos that you will go through at the beginning. If you have never parented a child you can parent children of whatever ages you choose to be placed with; or if you have children of your own they will have new siblings who can become friends with for their entire life.
