How do I become a foster parent?

      Requirements/Qualifications to become a licensed                          foster  parent or adoptive parent

• Stable Income
• Reliable Transportation
• Married for at least 1 year
• Divorced or widowed for at least 1 year
• Child Abuse and Criminal Clearances
• Responsible and healthy adult
• Must be at least 21 years of age
• Home must pass a Fire/Health Inspections

Generally, our most successful foster parents are open-minded, dependable, patient, and willing, to learn new parenting styles for children with different needs. Having a flexible schedule, being tolerant of change, and demonstrating the ability to follow our guidelines are all important qualities for success.

Yes, in some states, you will be required to be licensed, and in other states, you’ll just need special training. In either case, we’ll provide everything you will need, including: orientation to the program, ongoing trainings, regular in-person support, twenty-four hour on-call support availability and other tools to help you learn and develop your skills along the way.

This varies depending on the needs of the child and the circumstances of his or her placement. Some children are returned home after only a few months; others after a year or so. Sometimes, children who can’t go home become eligible for adoption; others remain in foster care until age 18.

No. Children of the same sex are permitted to share bedrooms provided that the foster child has space for personal belongings and opportunities for privacy. Children are not allowed to share the same bed. The bedroom designated for the foster child must have a door for privacy and a window to allow for ventilation and a second means of escape in case of emergency.

When the goal is to eventually reunite the family, visits are crucial to help the child maintain a sense of belonging and identity. Visitation schedules vary and may be scheduled once a week or once or twice a month. You’ll be asked to transport the child to visits, which are generally held in a supervised office setting.

Yes. Sometimes, for various reasons, children are unable to return home and may have a court-ordered goal of adoption. Foster families are always given adoption consideration when a child in their home needs a permanent family.

Requires each parent to complete 30 hours of training per year through the agency.

If you are interested, you may contact us at 815-535-7527 / 832-257-9457 / 713-791-4805 or by email at [email protected]

Children are placed through child protective agencies across your state. They may enter your home directly from their family of origin’s home, another foster home or from a more restrictive setting such as a residential facility.

When it comes to foster children, one size does not fit all. There’s no typical foster child: some kids are stepping down from residential treatment; some have developmental delays; some have suffered unspeakable abuse; some have built walls around themselves to keep out the hurt; and some have lost their beloved homes and families. Most will undergo counseling and therapy while in foster care. It won’t be easy to help a child who has known such pain and upheaval, but we’ll train you extensively on how to handle the specific needs of your foster child.

Your current parenting style will determine how much of an adjustment you will need to make to follow our guidelines. Our policies and guidelines are designed to protect both you and your foster children. We only allow appropriate, non-physical methods of discipline, such as removing privileges, giving “time outs” and using rewards, encouragement and praise for good behavior. Some of our discipline rules:

• NO physical punishment
• NO withholding meals, clothing, or shelter
• NO verbal abuse or name-calling
• NO threats to have a child removed
• NO physically strenuous work or exercise solely for punishment
• NO allowing other children to punish the foster child