Being an emergency foster parent is a challenging and rewarding experience. You may be thinking about how you could become an emergency foster parent, but you’re not sure where to start. It’s not a complicated process, but it does require some time and commitment. Here’s how to become an emergency foster parent:
- Learn the Requirements
Every state has different requirements for becoming an emergency foster parent. You’ll need to find out what those are in your state and make sure that you meet them all before moving forward with the process. The main thing you’ll be looking for is information on how old you need to be, where your home needs to be located (some states require that it be near a school), how many children you can take in (some states allow only one child per household), and whether or not your home has certain safety features like smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors installed already in it prior to approval being granted by Child Protective Services (CPS).
- Apply For Approval With CPS There are many different ways that you can apply for approval with CPS as an emergency foster parent: either online through their website or through mail using the application form provided on their website; however, when applying this way.
How To Become An Emergency Foster Parent
Types of foster care
There are many types of foster care. The application process is the same for all types.
Long term
You foster children who cannot go back to their birth family but do not want to be adopted. Usually, you’ll be their foster parent until they’re an adult.
Short term
You look after children for a few weeks or months while plans are made for their future.
‘Family and friends’ or ‘kinship’
You care for a child who you know or is part of your family – for example, your grandchild. Contact your council for information about becoming a ‘family and friends’ or ‘kinship’ carer.
Emergency
You give a child somewhere safe to stay for a few nights. This is usually unplanned and you could get less than 24 hours’ notice.
Respite and short breaks
You care for children who have disabilities, special educational needs or behavioural issues while their parents or usual foster carers take a break.
Remand
You take care of young people who’ve been remanded by a court. You’ll usually need specialist training to be this type of foster parent.
Fostering for adoption
You foster babies or young children who you may go on to adopt. If you’re fostering for adoption you’ll be entitled to adoption pay and leave from when the child comes to live with you.
You need to have been approved as an adopter by a local council or agency to do fostering for adoption.
Specialist therapeutic
You provide specialist therapeutic care to children and young people with complex needs or challenging behaviour. This is for experienced foster parents or those with certain skills.
There are thousands of children in California’s foster care system who require temporary out-of- home care because of neglect, abuse, or exploitation. The preferred placement of children who require out-of-home care is with relatives. If a home with relatives is not a possibility, foster parents and other caretakers provide a supportive and stable environment for children who cannot live with their birth parents until family problems are resolved. In most cases, the foster parents and care providers work with social services staff to reunite the child with birth parents. Foster parents often provide care to many different children.
Children who require out-of-home care generally come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The juvenile dependency process involves a series of hearings and case reviews which may result in foster care placement, including placement with relatives.
For Whom
A license is required to operate a foster home. The process requires a licensing worker to visit your home and meet with you and other family members. Minimum personal, safety, and space requirements are required by law. Foster parents work with social services staff to decide the type of child best suited for their home.
IMPORTANT: Sometimes children may require more intensive structured care. These children may be placed in licensed community care facilities that may be anywhere from six beds to much larger institutions. These group homes offer individualized treatment for children who require a more structured setting. To become a group home provider, contact your local county welfare office.
In addition to children placed in foster family homes and group homes, foster family agencies provide another placement resource. Agencies are licensed to provide certified family homes for children who require more services than are provided in foster family homes, yet these homes are less structured than group homes.
Where To Get Help
To get further information on any of these programs, please contact your local county welfare office or telephone toll-free at 1-800-KIDS-4-US (1-800-543-7487). A listing of county welfare offices can be found at Foster Care Recruitment and Training Information .
For Additional Information:
Foster Caregiver Policy and Support Unit
744 P Street, MS 8-13-78
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 651-7465
