Children are placed in foster homes because they have been removed from their own families due to abuse, neglect or other family problems that endanger their safety. The children may range from infancy through 18 years of age and may have special medical, physical or emotional needs. The children may belong to any ethnicity or race and be a part of a group of brothers and sisters who need to be placed together.

How do I become a foster or adoptive family?
Step 1: Attend Information Meeting

You will need to attend an informational meeting in your area where you can discuss the scope and requirements of being a foster or adoptive parent. You will get basic information and questions are welcome. Your local Department of Social Services (DSS) office will furnish you with this information if there are no informational meetings in your area. The office may have another name in your state, such as Services to Children and Families.

Step 2: Preparation and Selection

If you can meet the basic requirements, you are invited to meet with DSS staff to decide if fostering or adopting is right for your family. You also will be assessed by DSS staff. This process furnishes you with information about DSS and the children who come into the foster care system.

Step 3: Training

You will attend training to learn more about the children available through DSS and to assess your strengths in parenting children. The classes also boost your knowledge and confidence to meet the challenge of taking children into your home and to be sure you are ready to follow through on the commitment.

Step 4: The Family Study

A caseworker will visit you in your home. The purpose is to discuss your personal history, family interests and lifestyle, childcare experiences, the types of children you feel would best fit in your home and your strengths and skills in meeting the children's needs.

Responsibilities
Foster Parents:

• Provide daily care and nurturing of children in foster care
• Advocate for children in their schools and communities
• Inform the children's caseworkers about adjustments to the home, school and community, as well as any problems that may arise, including any serious illnesses, accidents or serious occurrences involving the foster children or their own families
• Make efforts as team members with children's caseworkers toward reunifying children with their birth families.
• Provide a positive role model to birth families, and help children learn life skills.

Adoptive Parents:

• Provide permanent homes and a lifelong commitment to children into adulthood
• Provide for the short-term and long-term needs of children
• Provide for children's emotional, mental, physical, social, educational and cultural needs, according to each child's developmental age and growth
• May become certified as a foster family and accept children who are not legally free for adoption, but whose permanency plan is adoption

Basic Requirements for Foster/Adoptive Families
The prospective foster/adoptive parents may be single or married and must:

• Be at least 21 years of age, financially stable and responsible mature adults
• Complete an application (staff will assist you, if you prefer)
• Share information regarding their background and lifestyle
• Provide relative and non-relative references
• Agree to a home study which includes visits with all household members
• Allow staff to complete a criminal history background check (in most states) and an abuse/neglect check on all adults in the household
• Attend free training to learn about issues of abused and neglected children. This training provides an opportunity for the family and DSS to assess whether foster care or adoption is best for the family. The family may withdraw from the meetings at any time. There is no charge for the meetings. Foster/adoptive parents generally train together.

Some Additional Foster Care Requirements
In addition to the basic requirements, states will have health and safety, as well as training requirements with which foster families must comply. Prospective foster parents should check with the local DSS office to learn more about required training and other requirements.

Foster Care Reimbursements
The monthly reimbursement provided to foster families is a combination of federal, state or county funds. It is for childcare-related costs such as food, clothing, recreation, transportation and housing cost. In extraordinary circumstances, special rates may be reimbursed to foster families who care for children with exceptional needs, as in the case of medical needs that require providing a child with specialized care, food, clothing or equipment.

Adoption Subsidies
Adoption subsidies are available to adoptive families to help cover the costs of special services needed by children, such as therapy, counseling, extraordinary corrective dental treatment or medical care and supplies. In some cases, such as the adoption of a sibling group through DSS, a subsidy may help with the costs of children's food, clothing, shelter and childcare needs. The level of assistance is based on the child's needs and availability of resources to meet those needs.

Can foster families adopt? Can adoptive families provide foster care?
Many families are interested in both fostering and adopting. They agree with the agency that the children's needs come first. In most cases, this means helping prepare children for reunification with their birth family, mentoring the birth parents or working toward a relative or kinship placement. When termination of parental rights is in the children's best interest and adoption is their plan, then foster parents who have cared for the children often are given the opportunity to adopt. Some states certify families for adoption and foster care at the beginning of the process to speed up the placement process, reduce the number of moves a child makes and allow relationships to evolve with the initial placement process. Across the United States, 65 percent of children adopted from the foster care system are adopted by their foster parents.⁽²⁾ Another 15 percent are adopted by relatives.⁽³⁾

In some states, a "buddy system" has been developed in which experienced foster families, who understand the challenges and rewards of foster parenting, are available to share experiences with new families and give support.

Many States also have local foster parent associations and adoption support groups that help with training and support activities for foster and adoptive families.

Contacts
For more information about becoming a foster or adoptive family through the public system, contact the Department of Social Services in your State.

⁽¹⁾AFCARS Report, January 2000
⁽²⁾AFCARS Report, January 2000
⁽³⁾AFCARS Report, January 2000