The need is high for safe, nurturing family environments for children who have been removed from their homes as a result of abuse, neglect or other family challenges. We are constantly recruiting and training foster parents from all walks of life in order to make sure each child who has to enter foster care has a loving home to stay in while their parents work towards reunification. Foster parents come from all types of backgrounds. You can be single, married, work full time or part time, and there are no restrictions to fostering if you’re in a same-sex marriage/relationship or identify as LGBTQ.

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What do foster parents do?

Foster parents provide safe and supportive homes for children and teens. Children come into foster care for many different reasons, all of which are not their fault. Foster parents need to provide care and love while keeping reunification in mind. Reunification is when a child can safely return to their birth family that has worked to stabilize their home.

Maintaining relationships with the child and his/her family is also a role of a foster parent. With the goal of a safe reunification, a foster parent must respect the connections and keep the child’s life disrupted as little as possible.

What are the requirements?

You don’t have to be perfect to be a great foster parent. Foster families, also known as resource families, must be able to prove a stable and loving home for a child. They must also meet the state’s basic requirements.

Requirements:

• Be at least 21 years of age
• Be able to meet basic income guidelines
• Have a valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation
• Be willing for everyone in your household to undergo complete background checks
• Complete the foster parent training program
• Meet all state licensing regulations

Click here to learn more about becoming a foster parent.

Still have questions? Learn more about the frequently asked questions collected from a foster parent in our free download, ‘The 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Foster Parenting.’