Foster Care

Orientation

There are two steps you must complete to start your process of becoming a foster parent: a two-hour orientation and a two-day class. Many families find it helpful to attend the orientation first because it provides an overview of the process and addresses details such as children served, timelines, fees (spoiler: it is virtually free!), licensing requirements, and more.

Orientations are held twice monthly.

Education

Another early step to becoming a foster care resource is attending our two-day Foster Care & Adoption Education Classes. These classes will familiarize you with the children waiting to be adopted, the needs they commonly have, and the adoption process. You will also have the opportunity to listen to panels of adoptive parents and waiting or adopted teens.

Topics covered include:

• An overview of the child welfare system
• Impact of prenatal drug/alcohol exposure
• Grief, loss, and separation
• Trauma, abuse, and neglect
• Mental health needs
• Attachment, cross-cultural, and transracial parenting
• Permanency needs of older youth
• Concurrent planning
• Experiences of foster parents
• Experiences of birth parents
• Visitation and maintaining connections

You will continue your education as you go through the foster care process. We’ve compiled a number of education resources, both mandatory and optional, on our site for your reference.

Application

Once you’ve attended the Foster Care Adoption Orientation and Foster Care & Adoption Two-Day Class, you may complete your application (broken into three parts: Application Part 1, Application Part 2, and DHS Application Documents). Our staff will assist you with the application process, letting you know what documents are required of which household members.

Background Checks

As you work on your application, anyone pursuing foster care or adoption will need to complete the appropriate background checks. Possessing a criminal record does not automatically disqualify someone from becoming a foster parent. Please contact us if you have questions about your particular circumstances.

Home Study

This part of the process includes several meetings with your social worker and a visit to your home. A comprehensive document is created by your social worker, which includes information about your motivation to foster or adopt, your health, home, personal history, familial lifestyle, interests, parenting style, income, and the type of child you are open to parenting. Once you are assigned to a social worker, the home study process takes about 3-4 months to complete.

Licensing

You will need to become a licensed foster home as part of your process. This allows the placement of a child into your home. You may be licensed to provide more than one service depending on your openness. For example, a family pursuing adoption from foster care may also be licensed to provide respite care while they wait for an adoptive placement.

Placement

Placement occurs when the child moves into your home. Your social worker will remain in regular contact to assist in supporting your caregiver role. Foster care placements may last a short time or be more long-term depending on which track you are pursuing and each child’s situation. While the child is placed in your home, it is likely that there will be ongoing birth family reunification efforts.

Permanency

Permanency may look different depending on each child’s situation. For some, this will mean reunification with the birth family. For others, it may mean placement with kinship or relatives. Others may find permanency through adoption after a termination of parental rights. Permanency for the child occurs after you have provided foster care services.