Ohio's foster home study requirements help find suitable homes.
Temporary foster care provides abused or neglected children with homes until the child can return home or a permanent home is found. Ohio prefers these children be placed into a relative's home if there is an acceptable substitute. If not, Ohio's foster care provide the temporary home. Both relative and nonrelative providers must be licensed by the State's Department of Job and Family Services after a home study is conducted.
Facts
A licensed home study agency will conduct in-home interviews and collect your personal information and records to ensure suitability between you and a child. To obtain a license, a home study is required. Typically, the agency will request four personal references, your health information and your educational background. The agency will also conduct a thorough criminal background check.
How It Works
Before a home study agency approves your foster home, you must undergo adoption education training. Classes teach foster parents to understand any culturally sensitive issues, child development and child behavior, and the mechanics of the adoption process. Mandatory education may be waived if the agency finds your family already possesses this knowledge or has already received the proper adoption education training.
The agency also conducts a fire and safety inspection, a drinking water test and a proof of financial solvency.
Time Frame
Typically, public home study agencies provide recommendations within 180 days. Private agencies usually take longer to provide the recommendation. Private agencies are more expensive but provide more personalized training.
Cost
According to the Adoption and Child Welfare Organization, as of 2009, private home studies may cost as much as $3,000. Depending on the prospective foster family's needs, public agencies are a better option if cost is a consideration to you, because some provide this service at no cost.
Special Considerations
The Ohio home study requirements are different for families who currently have five or more children living in the foster home or if placing the foster child in the home brings the number of children to five. If this is the case, the agency must determine whether you're capable of providing adequate care to all of the children, assessing the foster child's needs against the other children's needs.
Final Determination
The agency provides its final determination through a home study report. The report is valid for six years from the approval date. If "material" circumstances change, the foster care provider must update its home study records. A material change in circumstances may be anything from an addition of a family member or an applicant's death, or it may be a change in your health condition, marital status, criminal record or any other family member's criminal records. Changes in income and relocation are also considered material changes.
Tags: home study, home study, agency will, foster care, foster home, adoption education, adoption education training