Foster Care

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...

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 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...

Applying for foster care is a long drawn out, emotionally charged process. A person who makes the decision is usually someone who is very excited to begin helping children and is anxious to get...

Foster parenting can be incredibly rewarding, fulfilling and educational. It can also be difficult, frustrating and downright heartbreaking. Before you embark on this journey, consider the pros...

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...

When you become a foster parent, even after all the classes you take and training you receive, you often have a rosy view of how it’s going to be. You imagine a sweet little child coming into...

Being a foster parent for the state brings about many interesting challenges. The most obvious is dealing with the issues the foster child may come with. The child who comes into foster care may...

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...

So, you've got the nursery painted, the beautiful, cherry wood crib in the corner, and the perfect birthing facility selected for the "big day". The only problem is you cannot decide on...

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...

The entire month of May is set aside to acknowledge National Foster Care Month. This is to build public awareness of the hundreds of thousands of children waiting in the foster care system for a...

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...

Many people wistfully say that someday they hope to foster a child in need. However, they get inundated by the complexity of their lives, the business of their jobs and families and may question...

When my husband and I decided to become foster parents, we had to consider a variety of factors. Were we really ready? Would we make good parents? Would they like our cooking? (Joking-my husband...

When children are removed from the care of their parents and put into foster care, many relatives want to know what they need to do to have the child placed in their home. Here is a step-by-step...

Being a "specialized foster parent" isn't any different than being a parent in many ways.

Foster parenting can be a rewarding experience for singles and couples if you go into it for the right reasons, and keep some helpful hints in mind!

It can be quite a challenge for foster parents to discipline a foster child. Because of early trauma, abuse, or neglect a foster child does not respond to discipline in typical or expected ways....

It can be difficult for outsiders to understand how attached foster parents and foster siblings can become to a foster child. When you love and care for a child’s every need for a year or more you...

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...

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...

Social workers and foster families know that children in foster care have a right to visit with their biological parents. The circumstances under which this happens varies, but most visits are...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Bringing foster children into your home for the first time is always difficult, for both you and the children. There is always the expectation of problems. The children may be wondering if you...

One of the most important jobs of a foster parent is to make sure the child gets a proper education. A lot of foster children don't graduate high school because they weren't able to learn while in...