With the need for good Foster Homes so prominent in our State. I thought it maybe nice to go over some of the basics on how one can become a foster and or an adoptive parent through their State Social Services Department.

So here we go....Some simple guidelines:

1.) Call your local DHS and ask for information on Foster Care and Becoming a Foster Parent.

2.) Read over the information they send you. It will give basic rules and regulations.

3.) If you are still interested after reading the materials. Call and set up an orientation date.

4.) Depending on how many workers they have handling foster care licensing. You may be asked to attend a meeting. Or they may wish to come meet you at your home.

5.) After this initial meeting. You will be asked to fill out some paper work. One will be a police back ground check. Then a larger packet will be family history and other basic facts and questions on how you handle children and discipline in your home.

6.) If your back ground check is clear. Then they will set up a few home visits and what they call a
"Home Study." This will tell if your home is large enough for 1, 2 or 4 children. It is like a home inspection to make sure the home is in good condition for child safety. Plus it will tell them more valuable information about you and those living in your home.

7.) If this works out well. Then the state will issue you a Foster Home License. They will tell you how many children they will allow in your home at one time. Or you can tell them how many you wish to take into your home at one time. Usually 1 to 4 children can be placed in larger homes.

8.) Then you wait for your first placement which can come at any time day or night. If it is at night you may be asked to come pick up a child at an office or police station. Sometimes they are brought straight to you.

9.) There is no telling what the child will be wearing and if the child will have any other clothes with them. It is a good idea as a foster parent to keep a couple out fits of clothes in different sizes
in your home for those "Just in case" moments.

10.) Keep good open communication lines with your personal home worker. They will help you learn what you need to know as you need to know it. With filling out paper work, getting kids health check ups and dental exams or enrolling them in school. Before long it all just comes natural.

Foster care is nothing but the job of good parenting.
And...you get paid for it. Wow...A job you will enjoy and you get paid for it too.

If you love kids and enjoy parenting and entertaining them and helping them with home work.
Then everything else is basic. Yes they may come to you depressed after all who wouldn't be depressed if they were taken from their parents and the only home life they ever knew?

In many cases Foster Parents are a god send. The step up and keep the children safe until the biological parents can regain a decent life and get their children back home safe.

In some cases the children will never go back to their birth parents. They will go up for adoption.
In which case you may have first choice as to if you personally want to enlarge your family and adopt a child.

So the system is trying to help both children and families. So have a little faith and choose to be part of the positive answer to well needed Foster Families. You can do it too.