If you have the desire to help a child through a difficult time, perhaps you can be the parent who makes the difference in their lives…
How Do I Become A Foster Parent/ Resource Parent?
Contact Triad at (916) 572 7157 and we can begin this journey together.
General Steps:
- You will be invited in to meet with us at a Triad near you for a brief introduction to foster care and an Orientation.
- Then, an appointment will be scheduled for you to meet with a Social Worker, who will offer pre-certification trainings on foster care regulations; which will cover topics such as documentation and legal issues. You must be willing to work with children who have been exposed to trauma. We will teach you what to expect behaviorally from foster youth. Another portion of precertification training covers therapeutic interventions and addresses issues like cultural sensitivity, child abuse and neglect, child development, and positive discipline. These trainings are scheduled at your convenience.
- You will need to pass a health screening and a background check prior to being approved as a Resource Family. You will also need to provide copies of your California Driver’s License, an updated DMV printout, proof of automobile insurance and homeowners, (or renters) insurance. You will also need to provide immunization records for any pets you may have. Families need to have sufficient income to meet the needs of their own household.
- Resource Family Approval entails a report that a social worker will administer with two questionnaires and perform a formal interview of yourself and your family. This interview will tell us your story and why you want to foster a child in need of care. This process typically takes from two to four weeks.
- All residents of your home, over the age of 18, must be fingerprint cleared. Your home must be a clean, safe, single-family home suitable for the placement of children as approved by a home inspection. You must have a bed available in a bedroom, where the foster youth placed is within 5 years of age of your biological child, or other foster youth placed in the home. Infants up to 24 months of age can reside in the parent’s bedroom.
- After your home has been “approved” and you have informed us of what age child you would like to care for, you will be a candidate to have a child matched to your home. A monthly reimbursement for child expenses can come up to 45 days after placement, so families need to have sufficient financial resources to care for a child.
There is a great need for homes who can take siblings!
