3 Important Things to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent

18 June 2020
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If you feel the calling to become a foster parent, you must do more than just declare your intention to be a foster parent—you have to go through a licensing process. This process is designed to make sure all parents who sign up to become foster parents understand what this role entails and prove they have the tools and training to work with the children. There are certain processes and qualifications you must meet to become a foster parent.

#1: Be Prepared for a Background Check

If you want to become a foster parent, you need to be prepared for a background check on you and your partner. If there are other adults in the house, many states will also require background checks on anyone else living in the home as well.

This is going to be a comprehensive background check, so be prepared to get fingerprinted at the local police station for the background check. You will also be asked to provide information about all the states you have lived in, as most agencies will also run background checks for all states that you have lived in.

#2: Be Prepared to Share Financial Information

Second, foster care has gained a bad reputation over the years as a way for people to get money by hosting foster children in their home. In the past, the stipend that comes with taking care of foster children has resulted in unfit individuals trying to be foster parents.

As a response, most foster agencies now require you to prove that you have enough income to take care of your bills and needs financially without the stipend you get for taking care of any foster children. One's motivation for being a foster parent should never be about money, so checking your financial situation is one way to ensure your intentions are good. 

#3: Be Prepared for Home Inspection 

Third, you need to make sure you have a safe home that meets all building and fire codes. If your home is not in the best condition, you are going to want to fix your home up before applying to become a foster parent. The state is obligated to place the children in their care in safe homes, so make sure our home doesn't have any fire or safety hazards and meets building codes.

If you want to become a foster parent, you need to be prepared to have your background, financials, and the safety of your home inspected to ensure that you have the right motivation for taking care of foster children and the right means to do so. This is just part of the process of becoming a foster parent. To learn more, contact a private or public agency such as Kids Count Too to start the licensing process.