According to a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a growing number of children in the nation's foster care systems are reported as having chronic health conditions or other special needs. In cases where a child has a physical, emotional, developmental or learning disability, care becomes more than an issue of the child's welfare. Parenting kids with disabilities requires the willingness to share your home and to provide a loving environment to a child. While most states welcome inquiries from people willing to be a foster parent to a child with special needs, there are certain requirements that a person must meet before qualifying to be certified as a foster parent. Although many of the requirements for becoming a foster parent for a kid with disabilities are the same as for those being a foster parent to any child, there are several other factors to consider if you are thinking about becoming a foster parent to a disabled child.
Instructions
1. Contact your local department of human services office or the department of child protective services in your state and ask to talk to a caseworker who manages foster care placements (see Resources). In cases where families are unable to provide the medical care a child may need or become overwhelmed by the responsibility of parenting a disabled child, the child becomes a ward of the state. There are also private foster care agencies that you can contact for more information. The application process for foster parents varies from state to state as well as among the different counties in a state.
2. Answer questions regarding your own family. The purpose is to make certain that other members in the household are willing to accept a foster child into their home, particularly a child who has specialized needs. You may also have to provide some form of identification issued by the state in which you reside. A foster parent needs to be at least 21 years of age; however, in some counties and states, a foster parent need only be 18 years old or older.
3. Corroborate proof of income. You will be asked to verify that your net monthly income is enough to meet your household monthly expenses. Although foster parents receive some financial reimbursement from the state, along with other allowances for a child's clothing and day care, you must prove that you can support your own family without having to use any of this income. The child's caseworker or the social worker who places a child with your family can answer questions as to whether the child might be entitled to receive disability benefits through Social Security to help defray additional costs, which are the direct result of a child's disability. If a foster parent's out-of-pocket expenses would significantly exceed expected costs in providing adequate care for the child, government subsidies may help pay for medications, therapies or ongoing treatments.
4. Pass a safety inspection of your home whether you rent or own. Minimum safety standards required by most states include having a smoke detector in every bedroom, locking away all medications or other poisonous chemicals and having an appropriate number of bedrooms and beds to meet the sleeping needs of all the members in the household. The home must be clean and maintained in good repair.
5. Get fingerprinted as part of a criminal background check. Your fingerprints may be run through both state and FBI databases. Foster parents may not have a criminal record involving serious crimes or offenses against children. Convictions for certain minor traffic violations may be excused in your state.
6. Provide personal references. Most agencies require at least three references as to your character and ability to provide a home to children with special needs. The people whom you give as references will be asked if they feel you are competent to be a foster parent. In addition, you will be required to submit a medical record form completed by your doctor to confirm that you are in good health both physically and mentally.
7. Ask questions when you first attend orientation meetings scheduled for people who are interested in providing foster care to children who have special needs. This gives you the chance to talk to people who are experienced foster parents. You can learn more about the resources available to the foster parents of children who need specialized care (e.g., physical, occupational or speech therapy). The foster parents of other disabled children may be able to give you more information about deal with the health care system and the costs associated with caring for a child with one or more special needs. As the foster parent of a disabled child, you will need to have knowledge of the many different types of paperwork and forms required. You may be responsible for completing a record of when medications are administered, providing reimbursement claim forms and receipts for items purchased for the child from Social Security or foster program allowances, recording visitations with the child's natural parents, as well as logging appointments with doctors, therapists and other professionals on the child's health care team.
8. Complete the required number of hours of training, which can vary by state. Many programs involve a minimum of 30 hours of traditional training before qualifying to have a foster child placed in your home. In some states, a foster parent may be required to complete as many as 60 hours of training for certification. Throughout the weeks of training, you will receive information needed to be a foster parent as well as be given opportunities to connect with other foster parents. Additional ongoing training is required each year. In most cases, the minimum requirement for continuing education is 6 hours.
9. Attend additional hours of training to learn meet the particular needs of a child who may have moderate to severe disabilities. According to the American Humane Association, government statistics show that more than half of the children in foster care suffer from a chronic health condition, developmental delay or emotional problems. Therefore, it is likely that you may have to learn give medication or use special medical equipment. Because some of these children have multiple disabilities, you may have to be prepared to make modifications, such as wheelchair accessibility to your home environment if needed.
10. Agree to be interviewed so that a comprehensive social history can be recorded. The home study will involve multiple visits to your home by a social worker who will assess your suitability to be a foster parent. Both you and the foster care agency need to be certain that taking a foster child with special needs in your home will be the right move for the child and your own family. Because caring for a disabled child can be extremely challenging, your personality as well as your parenting skills will be evaluated. During the home study, the social worker will discuss with you the support services available to you and your family. These may include peer support and other support groups, counseling, legal advocacy, crisis intervention and periodic relief from care giving. Keep in mind that the role of a social worker is not only to act as an advocate for the foster child but an advocate for the welfare of the foster family as well.
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