What is foster care?
Foster care is “out of home” care for children and youth who must be separated from their parents or guardians. Foster care is a temporary living arrangement.
How do children enter the foster care system?
The majority of children in foster care are victims of abuse and/or neglect. They are placed in the custody of the local children services agency by law enforcement or through court. The local children services agency then places the child/ren in a licensed foster home.
How long will a child be placed in foster care?
Children may be in care as briefly as overnight or until age 21. In Ohio, the average length of stay for children in foster care is 25 months. Each child’s length of stay in foster care is dependent upon that child’s specific circumstances.
I work full-time, can I be a foster parent?
Yes. You can work full-time, part-time, or be retired. Foster parents’ financial situations vary widely and are assessed and considered individually. During the licensing process, you must provide documentation that you are financially stable. Your circumstances will influence the ages and needs of the children considered for placement in your home. You must have the flexibility to meet the day-to-day needs of the children in your care including the ongoing transportation needs.
Can I be single and be a foster parent?
Yes. You can be single, married, divorced, or have a live-in partner and be a licensed foster parent. Your home situation will be evaulated and considered individually during the homestudy process. A person who is married is required to have their spouse on the license. Your family circumstances will influence the ages and needs of the children considered for placement in your home. In the state of Ohio, you can only be single or married in order to adopt.
What is a homestudy?
A homestudy is an assessment of your family and home that is required by the state. Focus on Youth will meet with you in your home to talk about your personal history, family relationships, reasons for wanting to foster, and the support you have available to you. Focus on Youth will determine whether or not your home is safe and has sufficient space for foster children. The homestudy is to help you and Focus on Youth arrive at the best possible decision about whether placement of a child in your home will or will not work out and to determine the characteristics of the children whom you are best able to parent.
Will we have a choice to accept or decline a placement?
Yes. The final decision on whether or not to accept a foster child placement is with the foster parent(s). A part of the homestudy process is to help evaluate your family’s preferences, strengths, and needs. You will receive training that will help determine your skills and abilities. You are encouraged to ask questions about the child’s history and background to help you decide if your home and family can commit to meet the child’s needs. We will help you make an informed choice based on your ability to commit to meeting the needs of the child.
What happens if my family becomes attached to the foster child and the child is reunited with the birth family?
Since foster care is temporary, most children will be leaving your home to be reunified with birth parent(s) or to live with a relative. Training will help prepare you for that day but will not take away your sadness of saying goodbye. We will be here to support you through the transitioning home for the child.
Will the foster child visit with their birth family?
Family visits are essential for the child and the family to maintain a sense of belonging and identity. The length of time and frequency of visits depend on the birth family’s situation. Visits might be once to twice a week, once a month, twice a month, or never. Typically children under the age of two have visits twice a week. The visits may be held at the agency or in the child’s birth home. The visits are mandatory court order visits and usually begin the first week in care. Some visits will be supervised by staff, especially at the beginning of the child’s placement in foster care. A successful reunification can be encouraged through visitation.
What ages are the children who need foster care?
Children from newborn to 21 are in need of foster homes. Focus on Youth accepts children of all ages in family foster care and treatment foster care. There is a special need for families who will foster sibling groups and school aged children, especially teens.
Do children in foster care have behavioral, emotional, or medical needs or learning difficulties?
Yes. All children in foster care have experienced trauma due to being abused and/or neglected. Caregivers will need to be trained to respond appropriately to a child’s trauma needs. At Focus on Youth, we practice and teach trauma informed care to meet those needs. Through classes on trauma informed care, individuals will learn key aspects to help families heal. In addition to being abused and/or neglected, children entering foster care may have experienced conditions that have affected their development. Some children may have more severe challenges than others.
Are foster parents permitted to adopt a child who has been placed in their care?
Sometimes. A large percentage of children in foster care are adopted by their foster parents. The process to become an adoptive family is similar to becoming a foster family; however, a court must terminate the parental rights of the birth parents before a child may be adopted and before the adoptive process can begin.
What is involved in the process to become a foster parent?
A Family Assessor will visit your home to meet your family and share information. You should allow 4-6 months to complete the homestudy process. A homestudy includes, but is not limited to:
- Completed and approved application
- Completed financial statement and supporting financial documents
- An assessment of your home completed by a certified Family Assessor
- 3 favorable references from non-relatives
- A favorable medical statement from a doctor for each family member
- An approved fire inspection completed by your local fire department
- An approved safety audit of the home completed by a certified Family Assessor
- Completed criminal background checks with no disqualifying offenses
- A completed Ohio Central Registry Check on child abuse and neglect
- 36 hours of Pre-Placement Training
- Any additional paperwork required
What kinds of services will be available to me at Focus on Youth?
Focus on Youth is unsurpassed in our quality of services. Our staff prides itself on being connected to our families to ensure they receive the support they need. The following is just a portion of what we offer:
- Over 100 years of combined staff experience in foster care and adoption
- A nationally recognized therapy program
- 24/7 crisis intervention
- Foster Parent Advisory Board
- Experienced foster and adoptive parents and family members on staff
- An excellent Training Institute to help parents, professionals, and youth build skills and competencies.
