What process and/or requirements are necessary to legally become foster parents in the United States?

Question

What process and/or requirements are necessary to legally become foster parents in the United States?

Answer 1

Every state has their own requirements. Here are the requirements in the state that i live and work in:

1. Meet the minimum age qualification: 18 years old. Resource parents may be married, single, widowed, or divorced.

2. Provide bedroom space for the foster child. Each child must have his/her own bed

3. Provide sufficient space for the foster child’s personal belongings

4. Complete a Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) resource parent application

5. Attend the DYFS Resource Parent Pre-Service Training. Both adults in a two-parent household must attend the training program

6. Provide references from:

•three personal friends

•current employer (for adult applicants in the household employed outside of the home)

•school/day care (for school-age children)

•Physician (medical references on all household members)

7. Cooperate with State and Federal police checks. Fingerprints will be taken on all adult household members to process the State and Federal Criminal History checks. In addition, DYFS will conduct a review of its internal records to determine whether the applicant or any household member has neglected or abused a child in the past

8. Participate in a personal interview with a DYFS representative. All household members will be interviewed

9. Allow a DYFS representative to visit your home to assess minimum physical housing standards

10. Provide sufficient income to meet the needs of the entire family. Foster care board payments are to be used for the foster child’s expenses only.

Answer 2

The process is different depending on the state you are in.

Try the following links:

http://www.co.larimer.co.us/fostercare/f...

http://www1.dshs.wa.gov/ca/fosterparents...

http://adoption.about.com/od/bystate/

Hope that helps.

Jen