Interested in Fostering? Here’s an outline of the process
Imagine for a moment, being a parent and having your child removed from your custody. What kind of home would you like for your child to go to? What questions would you ask the people who are caring for your child? What steps would you like to know they have been through to prepare them for that role?
We believe all children should be cared for- and looked after in the same way you would care for your own children. That’s why the process to become a foster parent can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. No parent is going to be perfect, but those involved in the child welfare system want to do their best to ensure children in foster care are safe and cared for.
If your heart is calling you to open your home to a child, you may be curious what that process looks like. Here are the steps to becoming a foster parent:
Step 1: Attend a Meet & Greet
Becoming a foster parent is a big decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The first step we ask applicants to do is attend a Foster Care Meet & Greet to get some basic information about the process and the requirements to become a foster parent.
You have a choice when it comes to the agency you work with to become licensed. Your agency will complete your home study and will offer continued support throughout your journey. The Meet & Greet is your first introduction to the agency you choose.
This meeting is offered by Child Crisis Arizona virtually twice a month to make it convenient for you to attend from home. You can fill out an inquiry form on our website or give us a call.
Step 2: Fill Out an Initial Questionnaire
There is a lot of paperwork involved in becoming a foster parent and this initial questionnaire is your introduction to that. This basic paperwork begins the process and allows us to begin your journey on becoming licensed.
Step 3: Attend Training
Free training called Foster Parent College is offered to all foster parents. During training parents learn about trauma, the child welfare system, the court process, shared parenting and parenting children from various backgrounds.
Training is partially online and partially in person and lasts five weeks. Each week you will meet with other potential foster parents and an instructor to discuss the online content and learn what becoming a foster parent entails.
You will also be required to complete CPR and First Aid training.
Step 4: Complete the Home Study
You will be assigned a licensing worker who will help complete a home study that will be submitted to the state for licensing. Your licensing specialist will conduct interviews with everyone in the home and walk with you through your home to ensure it is ready for children.
There are certain safety precautions like working smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and a first aid kit that must be in the home. Your licensing worker will also help ensure medications and harmful chemicals are carefully locked away to prevent any accidents.
The home study also contains your background check, a medical statement from your doctor, confirmation of your completed trainings, letters from several references and plenty of other paperwork. Writing up this home study is the most time-consuming part of the process, but your licensing specialist will be working on your home study throughout your training.
Step 5: Complete a Home Inspection
The final step in the process is a home safety inspection with the Office of Licensing and Regulation (OLR). Many families get nervous about this step, but it is actually very simple. An inspector will walk through the home and confirm all the same safety regulations your licensing specialist went over. It’s a double check to make sure your home is as safe, as possible.
It takes an average of three to six months to complete all of these steps. Once everything is complete, you should receive an email from the state confirming that you are officially licensed. Then the real adventure begins!
If you have been considering becoming a foster parent, we would be happy to assist you along your way. Please reach out today!