| How can I become a Foster Parent? | ^Top |
Every state has its own rules about foster parenting. However, the chances are good that YOU can be a foster parent in your state.
There are many more children in need of temporary care than there are foster parents available. To fill this gap, states are looking for people who
- want to help children
- can share their time and their homes
- are married or unmarried
- are young or older
- are any race or religion
- work outside the home or stay at home
- will complete an application, agree to a background check, have a home inspection and personal interview, meet state and/or local licensing requirements, and are at least 21 years old.
Your state will prepare you for the responsibilities of being a foster parent, and will support you once you get started. Some of the kinds of help you will probably receive include
- information to help you decide if fostering is really for you
- training on your state's rules about fostering
- training on how to work successfully with children in foster care and their families
- continuing training on different aspects of fostering, such as fostering a teenager or dealing with behavior problems
- financial assistance in the form of a monthly maintenance payment for each child in your care
Interested? Find out whom to contact on the Foster Care Fact Sheet for your state.
| How do I become a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)? | ^Top |
50,000 CASA volunteers serve 225,000 children in over 900 local programs nationwide. To find out more about becoming a CASA volunteer in your area, visit the CASA website.
| How do I report that I think a child is being abused or neglected? | ^Top |
Each State designates specific agencies to receive and investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Typically, this responsibility is carried out by child protective services (CPS) within a Department of Social Services, Department of Human Resources, or Division of Family and Children Services. In some States, police departments may also receive reports of child abuse or neglect. For more information or assistance with reporting, please call Childhelp®, 800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453), or your local CPS agency.
The Child Welfare Information Gateway, which provided this information, publishes toll-free numbers for state reporting hotlines. Visit http://www.childwelfare.gov/can/index.cfm and click on Child Abuse Reporting Numbers at the bottom of the page.
| How do I become a mentor? | ^Top |
You can become a mentor to a young person in your own home town, or you can become a "virtual" mentor (vMentor) to a young person anywhere in the United States.
To find out how to become a mentor to a child or young person in foster care in your local area, visit the website of MENTOR. Most states have a local mentoring partnership which can help connect you with an organization in your area.
The vMentor program is sponsored by the Orphan Foundation of America. Visit the vMentor website to learn more about this program, which matches volunteers with young adults ages 16-23 who are, are formerly were, in foster care.
| How do I donate money to an organization that can help children and young people in foster care, or their foster parents? | ^Top |
There are many organizations that can accept your donations of money or goods to benefit children, youth, and foster parents. Here are a few of them:
- Each year the Orphan Foundation of America awards college scholarships to thousands of students in every state. This scholarship program is funded solely by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
- The Rowell Foster Children Positive Plan provides scholarships, lessons, and equipment to allow children in foster care to participate in the arts, athletics, and summer camps.
- The National Foster Parent Association provides scholarships for youth in foster care and accepts donations to its scholarship fund.
| How do I go about starting a group home for children/young people/pregnant teens? | ^Top |
Each state has its own regulations governing group homes. You should start by finding out the requirements for becoming a foster parent in your state. See our FAQ "How can I become a foster parent?"
| How much training does it take to become a foster parent? | ^Top |
Training requirements for foster parenting vary from state to state. Most states require both training before you become a foster parent (pre-service training) and ongoing, or in-service training, to maintain your license.
You can find state requirements for both pre-service and in-service training on the website of the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning.
| How do I start a petition for my governor/legislature/mayor/town council to declare May as National Foster Care Month? | ^Top |
Use our sample letter to ask your elected officials to declare May as National Foster Care Month.
| How can I raise awareness about foster care issues in my community? | ^Top |
Our Change a Lifetime Menu offers suggestions for several ways you can raise awareness about foster care issues, such as wearing a blue ribbon, writing a letter to your local newspaper, sponsoring or taking part in a foster parent appreciation event, or promoting National Foster Care Month with a link on your website.
| How can I show my support for foster parents and/or children and youth in foster care? | ^Top |
There are many ways you can show your support for children and youth in foster care or for foster parents. See our Change a Lifetime Menu for some suggestions to get you started.
| How do I adopt a child from foster care? | ^Top |
There are 114,000 children in the United States waiting for adoptive homes. Many children are adopted by someone who already knows them – a foster parent, mentor, or volunteer. It’s a great way to meet some children and teenagers who are looking for a permanent home.
Every state has its own rules about adoption, but you can adopt a child from any state. There are many more children in need of adoptive homes than there are adoptive parents available. To fill this gap, states are looking for people who:
- want to help children
- can share their time and their homes
- are married, or unmarried
- are young or older
- are any race or religion
- work outside the home or stay at home
- will complete an application, agree to a background check, have a home study, meet state requirements, and are at least 21 years old
For more information on adoption, visit these sites:
| How can I find a foster care agency in my city/county/state? | ^Top |
Foster care services may be provided by public (city, county, or state) agencies or by private agencies that contract with the state. Each state has its own agency structure. To locate an agency that provides foster care services near you, you may have to try one or more of the following:
- Call or visit the foster care telephone or website contact listed on your state Foster Care Month Fact Sheet.
- Many adoption agencies also provide foster care services. Search for Licensed Private Adoption Agencies and Local/Regional Offices of the State (Public) Adoption Agency in your state through the online National Adoption Directory.
- Find member agencies of the Child Welfare League of America in your state.
- Check your local telephone directory in the Blue Pages under Foster Care or Placement.
- Contact your state foster parent association.
| How can I become a respite care provider? | ^Top |
Respite care is short-term care of a child in order to give the regular caregiver a break. Respite can be for a few hours or a week or more.
Each state or county has its own procedures for foster parents to get respite care, and many private agencies also provide their own forms of respite.
If you are a foster parent or kinship caregiver, your first step should be to check with your social worker to find out what types of respite, if any, are available to you.
Other sources of information about respite care are:
| How do I adopt a child from another country? | ^Top |
- Over 513,000 American children are in foster care because their own families are in crisis and unable to provide for their essential wellbeing. There are 114,000 children in foster care who are free for adoption. Every year, more than 20,000 young Americans age out of foster care without a legal, permanent connection to a caring adult.
- Please consider adopting a child or young person who needs your help in the United States. Visit the website of AdoptUsKids to meet some of these children.
- For information on the process of adopting from another country, see the resources on the Child Welfare Information Gateway website.
| How can I get custody of my relative child who is in foster care? | ^Top |
Child custody decisions are made by individual state, county, or city child welfare agencies in conjunction with the local courts. You should begin by contacting that agency. Check the local government section of your telephone directory. The agency may be listed under “child services,” “child and family services,” “human services,” or another name.
To find out more about kinship care in your state, see the State Fact Sheets for Grandparents and Other Relatives Raising Children developed by The Children's Defense Fund, AARP, Casey Family Programs, The Brookdale Foundation, Child Welfare League of America, Generations United, The Urban Institute, and Johnson & Hedgpeth Consultants, which you can find online at http://www.giclocalsupport.org/pages/state_fact_sheets.cfm
You might want to contact an attorney. You can find information about qualifications for free legal aid and locating an attorney in your state on the website of the American Bar Association
| How can I become a legal guardian to a child in foster care? | ^Top |
Each state has its own laws and regulations concerning guardianship. Most have subsidized guardianship programs, through which a person, usually one who is related to or known to the child, provides a permanent, safe, loving home. Guardians under such programs may receive a subsidy from the state to help provide for the child's needs.
You can find links to extensive information about subsidized guardianship, including state-by-state information, at the website of the National Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice and Permanency Planning.
| Can I become a foster or adoptive parent if I or my spouse is in the military? | ^Top |
AdoptUsKids, a Service of the Children's Bureau, has published a resource guide on adoption by military families, which include the steps to becoming an approved adoptive parent. Although these steps are used to describe the adoption process, readers are encouraged to make adaptations to the foster care licensing/certification process as applicable. Most are pertinent to becoming a licensed foster parent, particularly in States that use a "dual licensure" process to approve families for both fostering and adopting. Click here to find this guide, "Wherever My Family Is: That's Home!"
| How can I foster or adopt a Native American child? | ^Top |
Foster care and adoption of Indian children is regulated by the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1987 (ICWA). A short explanation is available in a brochure from the National Indian Child Welfare Association titled "The Indian Child Welfare Act: A Family's Guide."
For more information about Indian children in foster care and adoption, see:
| How can I honor the foster parents who do so much to help the children and youth in my community? | ^Top |
Use our toolkit to find ideas for events, a sample letter of appreciation, and materials to help you publicize your event in your local media.
| How can I advocate for change in the foster care system?
| ^Top |
Begin by educating yourself about the facts about foster care and the needs of those touched by this issue. About Foster Care
Visit the following websites for information about advocating for foster care issues:
| How can I get money to build an addition on my house so I can foster or adopt more children?
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Every state has its own programs for housing assistance. For information about your state, please contact your state's Housing Finance Agency. You can find contact information on the website of the National Council of State Housing Agencies.
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