Foster parenting is a serious commitment. It requires giving
the gift of unconditional love to children and youth who may
never have experienced love of any kind and who may not know
how to accept it. It also requires the foster parent to be
able to bond and attach to children quickly, but still be
able to separate from those children when they are returned
to their birth/legal family or moved to a more permanent
family situation. Foster parents are selected from
applicants: (1) who are single or who have been married for
at least two years, (2) who range in age from 21 to 65, (3)
who maintain standards acceptable to DCFS, and (4) who pass
safety, health and background checks.
The
process of recruiting, training, and evaluating a
prospective foster family and that family’s home is called a
Family Foster Home Assessment. An assessment is conducted
prior to the placement of a child in the home. The purpose
of the Family Foster Home Assessment
is threefold:
• to educate the prospective foster parents,
• to assess the family’s character, suitability, and
qualifications, and
• to determine if the physical environment meets the
standards for approval of a Family
Foster Home.
DCFS recognizes the child's right to be placed in a home
able to deal with the special problems and traumas of
out-of-home care. Foster parenting is a specialized field
different from parenting your own children and for which
specialized training is essential. As foster parenting is
far too complex to be covered in one course, DCFS will
provide opportunities for training to prospective family
foster parents and training related to the special needs of
children in out-of-home placements.
•
Provides a nurturing family life experience to the child
including guidance, stimulation, affection and appropriate
discipline.
• Assists the child and DCFS in planning and achieving the
child's return to his birth/legal parents' home or to a
permanent placement.
• Prepares the child for enrollment and regular school
attendance when age
appropriate in an accredited school and to encourage the
expression of the
child strengths and talents.
• Maintains open communication with all team members; and,
this includes
communication with the child's birth/legal family when
contact with the birth family is part of the case plan.
• Transports the child to doctor visits, court, and family
visits.
• Trains and teaches each child using techniques that stress
praise,
encouragement and help children learn life skills.
Basic Requirements for Foster Family
The
prospective foster parents must:
• Be single or married for at least two years, or divorced for
at least a year.
• Both spouses must attend an orientation.
• Be at least 21 years of age, financially stable and a
responsible mature adult.
• Complete an application, with assistance from DCFS if needed.
• Share information regarding their background and lifestyle.
• Agree to a home study, which includes visits with all
household members.
• Allow staff to complete a criminal history background checks
on all
household members 14 years of age and older.
• Allow staff to complete an abuse/neglect check on all
household members 10 Years of age and older.
• Allow staff to complete a vehicle safety check on all adults
who may
assist in transporting foster children.
• Attend 30 hours of pre-service training to learn about issues
related
to fostering abused and neglected children. This training
provides an
opportunity for the family and DCFS to assess whether foster
care is
suitable for the family.
• Have adequate sleeping space. Each space must have windows to
the
outside and 50 square feet of sleep space is required for each
child.
• Allow no more than 5 children in the home including your own
children
and/or any children for whom you provide care.
• All household members must have passed a complete physical
examination.
• Obtain TB testing as required by the local Division of Health
for
household members over the age of 12.
• Permit fire, health and safety inspections of the home.
• Have operational telephone service in the home (having only a
cell phone
is not acceptable to meet this criterion).
• Provide a minimum of 3 references, family and non-family
familiar with your child caring abilities.
• Annually acquire 15 hours of continuing education.
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