Foster Care

Foster care and group homes are supervised living arrangements for people unable to live in a traditional family environment. There are differences and similarities between group homes and foster...

Children unable to live with their families, due to abuse, neglect or other issues, are removed from their biological families and moved into foster care. Foster care parents provide short- or...

A foster care situation is one in which children do not live with their birth parents and reside temporarily with another family until they return to their birth parents or find an adoptive...

Foster parenting can be a difficult but emotionally rewarding experience. As a foster parent, you will provide a temporary home (typically 6 to 18 months) for children who are separated from their...

Making the decision to become a licensed Arizona foster parent is a rewarding one. You will be happy with your choice as your family is built. There are several requirements and processes that you...

Children and youth in foster care often require mental health treatment. They come from backgrounds of loss, grief, neglect and abuse. Mental health services provide the support and encouragement...

Foster parents provide safe, secure homes for children removed from their birth families due to issues of abuse, trauma, neglect or other challenging situations. Successful foster parent training...

Parents of developmentally challenged children are concerned with what will happen to their child when the parents can no longer care for the child. Institutions may be the answer for a severely...

More than 500,000 children were in foster care in September 2006, according to a study published by the Children's Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. There is an ongoing...

Foster homes provide temporary shelter for children who are displaced from their natural families due abuse and neglect, voluntary relinquishment or death of the child's guardian. Children are...

Foster care is a temporary situation that can help a child in many ways. Christian Family Care Agency says, "There are an estimated 7,000 children in Arizona and 550,000 children nationwide in...

Children may leave their foster homes when they are adopted from foster care. After 12 consecutive months of foster care, a permanency planning meeting must be requested. This meeting determines...

Whether you're planning to adopt or to be a foster parent, preparing for a homestudy can be an overwhelming task. Just keep in mind that the social worker wants you to succeed in this endeavor as...

Foster care systems are typically run by individual states as a part of their departments of social services. The purpose of foster homes is to provide a safe, stable environment for children...

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children enter the U.S. foster care system and every single one of them is in need of a family to give them a safe home for either short-term or long-term...

Over a half million children are in foster care in the United States. When a child is abused or neglected, they are often sent to a foster home. A foster home can be the home of a relative, family...

We have all seen the TV ads about people opening their homes to children who need them. The foster-care system in the United States--which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...

Love and care is essential to our well-being. Adults and children alike consistently seek them, but when it comes to children, special attention is critical. This passage discusses minors who for...

According to a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a growing number of children in the nation's foster care systems are reported as having chronic health...

When children enter the foster care system, they are often frightened and traumatized. The first foster parents that care for a child in an emergency situation are often short-term care...

Most foster children will come into your home with many things to sort out. There are a few children that present no real problems while living in your home. Other children might present difficult...

Learning about your new foster child can be a difficult task. The more placements a child has had, the less documentation you will probably end up with on the child. Getting past foster-placement...

How often you meet with your foster child's caseworker depends on how many children she has in her caseload and what the specific needs of the foster child are, both physically and emotionally....

We take for granted the fact that most of us know how to live in a family unit. That may sound weird to people who have always been in a functioning family, but for many foster children, living in...

There are a number of different agencies that provide foster care services. The most well-known is Job and Family Services for your county or state, but you are not limited to working only through...

Whether this is your first time meeting with a foster child's probation officer or the one hundredth, planning ahead and knowing what is expected of you and your foster child will make the trip...

Helping foster children feel welcome and accepted into their new family is always a challenge. This is especially true for grandparents, who are expected to bond with each new addition to a...

Teen foster children are difficult to parent because you must cope with all the issues of teenage life as well as any remaining behavioral or psychological problems from the teen's experiences in...

Foster child expenses, including room and board, clothing, recreation and medical fees, add up to significant amounts for some families. Foster programs are covered by state budgets so you can be...

Being a foster parent is very demanding and sometimes you'll need a break or help from other parents and professionals. Luckily, there are programs providing free support groups and training to...

Blogs are an easy way for foster families around the country to communicate with each other and share success stories. While some information may be state-specific, you can learn a lot if you...

An adult foster care home is a facility that provides a supportive environment to help seniors enjoy their golden years. These homes are supported primarily by state and federal funding, so they...

Emergency care foster homes are most often used as a temporary living situation for a child in need. You need a special license and training to run a home for someone who is not genetically...

A pre-adoption care foster home gives temporary lodging to one or more children while they wait for the adoption process to finish. You can run your own pre-adoption facility out of your house,...

A respite care foster home gives attention and living support to children who have special needs due to a past traumatic experience or to children whose regular foster family needs some time...

Short-term care foster homes lodge children temporarily while agencies look for a stable long-term solution. If you want to run this type of home, you need certification and skills to provide a...

Therapeutic care foster homes are run by trained family members who know how to deal with special-needs children. You need special training if you want to host and work with these kids.

Foster children who have histories of running away from their biological and host families can be very difficult to parent. In addition to creating a supportive household, you must be aware of...

If your foster child is uninsured or their medical assistance application has not yet been approved, you should be aware that according to Federal Law, the child is eligible for Medicaid. Here's a...

Unfortunately, there are a lot of resources available to foster children that they may never be able to use. Typically, there is no one to advise them or no one to enforce the legally mandated...

You have seen your foster child make great progress socially, emotionally and academically with your love and care. But as he nears the end of high school, you may be concerned about what his...

Foster parents provide a safe, temporary home for children who have been abused and neglected and are unable to stay in their own homes. Public and private agencies recruit foster parents and...

Visitation between a child and his parents is very important. It allows them to talk about their feelings, try to re-connect and build trust. Visits matter to children because they help ease some...

Do you want to help children who are without parents, or have been removed from their parents. Do you have children of your own? Do you want to open up your home and help a child grow and develop...

Being a foster parent means opening your home for a period of time to children who have been removed from their biological parents for a variety of reasons. Some have been either abused or...

Both children and adults can be diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), also known as Attachment Disorder (AD). If your foster child has trouble taking direction and often displays...

Being a foster parent is one of the hardest things to do in life. Sometimes it's even harder than raising your own children. It's even worse when you do have your own children, because then your...

Being a foster parent is one of the hardest things to do in life. You care for them just like a parent would, but you are afraid to get attached because they may have to move. That is exactly how...

There are two things you have to consider when you tell a foster child about their biological family. You have to realize this is the only family they have, and they're not going to want to hear...

The preparations for becoming a foster parent are the easiest part of foster parenting. Make sure that before you parent a child, you are prepared for all of the child's needs. You will need to...