What to Expect

Foster parents help the children in our community who need it most. The care you provide through fostering is invaluable. In many ways, the choice to become a foster parent is the chance to save a life.

Children enter into foster care when their caregivers are not able to ensure the safety and well-being of their children. Most children have experienced some form of trauma as a result of abuse or neglect. All children in care share the difficult experience of being displaced from their homes, families, and the lives they knew.

As any parent will tell you, caring for a child is not always easy. Children can come into foster care with a unique set of needs related to their physical health, mental health, behavioral issues, and other challenges.

We are here to help our foster parents and families every step of the way.

There are 3 steps to becoming a certified foster parent: Intake, Training, and Home Study.

To be considered, for you must meet these basic requirements:

• Be at least 21 years of age
• Be financially stable with a steady means of income
• Have at least one spare bedroom in your home or apartment.
• Complete a criminal background check and child abuse clearance
• Have a way for the agency to contact you

Once approved, the decision to bring a child into your home is based on shared information between you and a caseworker. The length of a child’s placement depends on a number of varying circumstances. The goal of our agency is always to reunify children with their birth families whenever possible.

By visiting this site, you have already begun the intake process. The next step is to call our Intake phone line at 315.435.3827 or send us an email.