Foster Care

Foster care is a program that provides shelter to children who have been removed from their homes due to physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse or neglect. The shelter may be emergency, short term, or long term.

A foster parent is someone that provides a temporary safe, stable, and loving home for a child or children during their time awaiting a permanent safe plan. The plan can be to help them reunite with their birth parents or family member when problems resolve, or pursue adoption for children who cannot return home. A foster parent can also provide respite (temporary) care for other foster families when needed.

An adoptive parent is someone that provides a permanent safe, stable, and loving home for a child or children when it has been determined that they cannot safely be returned to their family of origin.

A foster care license is required to operate a foster home. To become a foster parent, you must:

• Be 21 years or older;
• Be financially self-supporting (able to meet own family needs);
• Complete training classes;
• Receive a criminal record clearance and have no criminal record involving violent crimes or crimes against children;
• Receive a health screening clearance;
• Obtain CPR and First Aid certification;
• Have a home that meets basic safety requirements.

Your Social Worker will prepare, train, and support you through this process, and connect you with community resources that you might need.

Whether you foster or foster to adopt, the child you care for will receive medical and dental coverage. Further, you will receive monthly financial support to ensure the child's needs are met while in foster care, and may qualify for ongoing assistance after adoption.

There is no fee to become a foster parent. With a completed application, it takes around six months to go through the process; but remember, everyone's situation is different and timeframes may vary.