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Why Are Foster Parents Needed?
Foster parents are needed to provide temporary homes to children whose lives have been disrupted due to family problems. Mental illness, drug and alcohol addictions, domestic violence, abuse, neglect, lack of food, housing or supervision, may bring a child into foster care. Children may need temporary care for days to several years. New laws shorten timelines for returning children to their parents which can make a child's stay in foster care much shorter.
Are Foster Homes Licensed?
All foster homes are licensed by the Ohio Department of Human Services in cooperation with Athens County Children Services and are recertified on a yearly basis. Prospective foster parents must complete training and have a completed home study. Persons applying to become foster parents must agree to a criminal background check with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
What Can I Offer As A Foster Parent?
Your family makeup, interests and hobbies, along with the kind of training you receive, may make you a better match for some children than others. No two foster families are alike. What is most important is your ability to accept the child's circumstances that brought him into care and give him the stability and individual attention he needs. You must also be able to accept the temporary nature of foster care and help a child move back to his family or move on to a permanent home.
Foster Parents May Be:
Married or single; home owners or renters; working outside the home; approved for foster care and other programs such as adoption.
Foster Parents Must Be:
Must be licensed; have a criminal check; complete initial and ongoing training; must be 21 years old or older.
Foster Parents Will Be:
Reimbursed a daily rate; reimbursed for other expenses; trained and supported by the agency.
Homes are needed for children of all ages. There is always a critical need of homes for teens, teen mothers and infants, sibling groups, emergency care homes, and foster families who will also consider adoption of children of all ages. Foster parents work together with the caseworker to meet the needs of the child placed in their home.
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