How to Be a Foster Parent

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 into a worthwhile person when they grow up. Are you sensitive to the poor children who need care, and their parents are on drugs or the child has been abused by one of the parents. Do you welcome the opportunity to give back to society, or your community. You are needed by children today. I hope you can find time to do a rewarding opportunity by welcoming a child into your care and home. We need more caring people like you. Please help.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• You need to take the necessary classes given by the State that you live, to train you how to properly care for a child. Call the listed pages and ask them for more information.

1. Call the local Department of Dependent Children, and ask for a caseworker to come out to your home and explain the procedure of becoming a Foster Parent. Fill out the paperwork and arrange to take the classes. It generally takes about 2 1/2 months of classes. If you are married you husband will have to take the classes with you.
2. Take the classes and keep all of the notebooks and materials thatis given you for study. Please make note of all of the referral agencies that you can use after you become a foster parent. This is an opportunity to meet other prospective foster parents. You can share information with them later.
3. Make sure you are signed up with an agency of Foster Care that you have interviewed and would like to work with. They have a social worker, casemanager, and other resources. Some of the children have special needs and need the care of a physician. Some have to have medication on a daily schedule. You may have to take them to all of their appointments, and wait for them to finish the appointments. You may have to plan activities for them after school, and visiting with their parents, when it is convient for the family.

Tips & Warnings

• The children will receive a budget for clothing from the state of agency. You have to keep good receipts and turn them in after the purchasing. You will also have to make a listing of all of their clothing and submit to the caseworker. A daily report is kept on problems and behavior of the children.It will be your job to go to school and follow up with the child's teachers. Provide tutoring for homework. You are now the proud parent of a foster child. Your role is that of a caring parent.
• There may be some problems with teenagers keeping their curfew. You have to know where they are at all times. So plan to keep track of them. They must be in school everyday, or you will be notified by the school. The agency expects your cooperation in raising up the child.If you have to leave the the child, be sure and have a competent adult keeping them. This is a requirement.