Partnership for Strong Families

Home About Us Community Resources Upcoming Events Publications Contact Us

view allJuly

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« prev					next »
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Donate

Interested in Foster Parenting?

Foster Parent Association

Click Here to Join the Foster Parent Association

Information About Foster Care

In Florida each year, there are 9,000 to 10,000 children who are not able to live at home or sleep in their own beds. An adult in their family abused or neglected them. It is no longer safe to live at home, at least for awhile ... but perhaps forever. These children are newborns; they are middle schoolers; they are teenagers; they have brothers and sisters in the same boat; they are all races and nationalities; a few have serious medical problems and handicaps; most have hidden wounds on their souls. Where do these children go when they can no longer remain safely in their homes? If there are no relatives able to care for them, then they are placed with a foster family. Foster parents are special people — they possess the gift of being able to open their hearts and homes to children in need of safety, love and nurturing, and, when the time is right, to let them go again. What sets foster parents apart is their ability to love a child like one of their own, regardless of whether the child lives with them for a month or for more than a year. Foster parents have the challenging task of providing an atmosphere that helps a child heal and prepare to go back home, if possible, or on to a new permanent home. Foster parents are a vital resource for these children as they wait in limbo, between a past that was painful and a future that's uncertain.

Frequently Asked Questions

+ Do You Have Enough Room In Your Home To Temporarily House A Child?
You must have enough bedroom space to foster a child. Also, you must be able to provide the child with his or her own bed. A child in care may share a bedroom with your child or another child in care. However, the child may not share a bedroom with any individual over age 18. Also, adults cannot move out of their bedroom and sleep on the couch to make room for the child.

+ Can Your Home Pass A Safety Inspection?
It is important that children live in a safe and clean environment. During the homestudy process, a representative of the local health department will conduct a safety and fire inspection of your house or apartment. Your home must be free of danger and garbage. You must have working smoke detectors and a fire extinguisher. You must pass this inspection to be eligible to be a foster parent.

+ Are You Physically And Emotionally Capable Of Caring For Children?
Being a foster parent can be demanding. You must be physically healthy and emotionally healthy to care for foster children. You will be interviewed by the counselor regarding your own childhood experiences and your family relations.

+ Do You Have A History Or Record Of Abuse Or Neglect?
If you have been investigated by the department in the past, you may not be eligible to become a foster parent. This includes substantiated cases of abuse and neglect or if your own child had to be placed in foster care. When we receive your application, we will review our records.

+ Do You Have An Adequate Income To Meet Your Own Family’s Current Needs?
While you don’t have to be rich to be a foster parent, you must have enough income to meet your own family’s needs. During the homestudy, you will be asked to provide proof of income.

+ Have You Been In Your Current Relationship For More Than 12 Months?
Foster parents can be single, married, divorced or separated. However, you must have been in your current marital status for at least 12 months to ensure stability in your relationship.

+ Has An Adult In Your Home Ever Been Convicted Of A Crime?
If you or any adult residing in your home has been convicted of certain criminal offenses, you cannot be a foster parent. Each adult member of your household will be fingerprinted, and a juvenile records check will be done on each child in your home 12 years of age and older.

+ Are You Ready To Begin The Homestudy Process?
You are ready to begin if your life and home are stable. "Stable" means that you are not about to move and are not having financial, marital or emotional difficulties. If you rent, you will need your landlord’s approval. Also, your home must be in good repair. Overall, you must have given serious thought to the decision to become a foster parent.

Steps To Take

First, contact (352) 393-2740 ext. 334 or fill out the Foster Parent Sign-up form.

Next, you will be mailed a packet of information and invited to an orientation meeting where you will be given a detailed overview of the foster care program and the licensing and application process.

After that, you will begin at least 30 hours of foster parent training, called Model Approach to Partnership and Parenting (MAPP). The kinds of topics you will discuss include: - Reasons you want to foster a child - Your childhood - Your marriage (if applicable) - Your lifestyle and whether it could accommodate a child - Your finances - Your parenting philosophy - Your support system

After completing the MAPP training, a study of your home will be conducted. A background check of law enforcement records will be made for you and your family. Your friends, relatives and employers will be contacted to give character references for you and your family.

When you have successfully completed the preparation sessions and the home study has been completed with a recommendation for you to become a foster parent, you will receive a license to be a foster parent. You’ve made it!

The entire licensing process should be completed in about six months from the date you attend the orientation session. Once you are licensed as a foster parent, a child can come to live with you. Each year that you continue as a foster parent, you will need to attend 8 hours of recertification training on issues such as child development, attachment disorder, and how to support relationships between children and their families. You will also have to renew your foster parent license annually.

The length of time a child in foster care will live with you will vary from child to child. During the time a child resides with you, the state will reimburse you for at least part of the cost of caring for the child. The reimbursement rate is determined by the age of the child. In addition, health costs for children in care are covered by Medicaid. A foster care counselor will meet with you and the child(ren) in your home at least once a month and will be available to assist with concerns and questions.