Foster Care Frequently Asked Question #1

Question:

How do I become a foster parent?  Will I receive any financial assistance to care for a child(ren)?

Answer:

Each State provides its own criteria and licensing requirements as well as support services, such as monthly maintenance payments, for foster parents. For information on how to become a foster parent and what types of support services are provided for foster parents in your State, you can contact your State-sponsored foster care information line or your local child welfare agency. A listing of State Foster Care Information Websites is available on the website of Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.cfm?rs_id=17&....

If your State does not have a foster care information line, the local child welfare agency should be able to provide you with information about how to become a foster parent. Child Welfare Information Gateway has a related organizations listing that provides a link to each State’s child welfare agency at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.cfm?rs_ID=16&....     

In most States, private agencies also provide foster care services. To find out about these agencies, contact your State Licensing Specialist; a list is available at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=15&rate....

If the previous resources do not provide you with the information you need, you can also contact your State’s Foster Care Program Manager. Addresses and phone numbers for each State’s Foster Care Program Manager are available at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=13&rate....

Also, you may want to visit the website of the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA). While the Children’s Bureau and ACF do not endorse this organization or  guarantee the content of its website, this resource is provided for information sharing purposes. The NFPA website at http://www.nfpainc.org/resource provides not only information on how to become a foster parent, but it also provides a  Federal tax guide for foster parents, information on State training requirements, and much more.