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Foster Parent Information
Do You Have Room in Your Heart and Your Home? Share Your Love with a Child in Your Community Who Needs a Family.
Complete this form to receive additional information about becoming a Foster/Adoptive Family.
About Foster Care
Foster Care is temporary care for children who are unable to live with their birth families. Children in foster care represent all ethnic groups and may be infants through teenagers. Some children may have handicapping conditions, behavioral challenges, and need special care. When brothers and sisters come into care, we want to place them together. Teenage mothers also need homes for themselves and their children. Children in foster care, like all children, need love, affection, and guidance.
Become a Foster Parent
A foster parent is someone who can provide temporary care and love for children who are unable to live with their birth families. A foster parent should be someone who:
- Can be a working or stay-at-home parent
- Can help prepare a child for return to their birth family or to be adopted
- Can work as a member of a team with families, social workers and other professionals
- Is flexible and capable of handling stressful situations
- May become an adoptive parent
- Wants to make a difference in a child's life
Qualifications
- You can apply to become a foster parent if you meet the following qualifications:
- 21 years old
- Can make room in your home and heart for children who need safe, temporary care
- Have sufficient income to meet your own family's needs
- Married, single, or living with a partner
- You are in good health
Training
The following needs to be done before you can become a foster parent:
- Attend an orientation session
- Attend our pre-certification training classes
- Complete an application
- Participate in a home study
- Provide personal references and current medical reports
Assistance
You will receive the following assistance from us:
- Arrange for special services for the child in care
- Foster Parent Support Group
- Provide 24-hour emergency services
- Provide financial and medical support to meet the needs of the child
- Provide ongoing training
Contact
Call us for more information at 607-737-5557. Information and Orientation sessions are held every month. Please check the calendar of events for the next scheduled session.