Foster parents care for children in a temporary manner as if they were their own.
Being a foster parent can be both a rewarding and challenging experience. The process that is in place to become a foster parent in Nash County, N.C., is similar to other such programs throughout the United States. Becoming a foster parent is, at times, a lengthy process. You must be qualified, certified and approved by the Nash County Department of Social Services before you can begin fostering children in need.
Instructions
1. Make sure that you are emotionally prepared to be a foster parent. Read books, attend lectures and take classes about being a foster parent. Talk to current foster parents to get a firsthand view of what life is like for a foster parent. Contact the Nash County Foster Care/Permanency Planning Service for Children division of the Nash County Department of Social Services and ask to speak to someone in the foster parent division. Ask for the names and numbers of current foster parents who are willing to talk to potential, new foster parents about their experiences.
2. Enroll in a state required training and certification course in being a foster parent. Contact the Nash County Department of Social Services to inquire about the upcoming schedule of courses. Choose a course that fits your schedule and mark the dates, times and locations down to ensure that you make it to all classes. Complete the course and obtain a certificate stating that you successfully completed the training.
3. Verify that you are a current resident of Nash County. Have a copy of your driver's license and a utility bill made to show where you live. Make sure to get a copy of your telephone bill to show that you own a working telephone as it is a requirement to be a foster parent. Make sure that you copy your driver's license to show proof that you are at least 21 years old.
4. Make copies of your tax returns for the past three to five years. Go back five years if possible to help show that you have a routine and stable income. Show proof of current income by making copies of pay stubs. You must show that you can financially support a foster child.
5. Have a criminal records check done. Have yourself fingerprinted. Contact the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation to begin the process to have the check performed. Have a fingerprint-based criminal background check performed in order to satisfy both requirements mandated by the Nash County Department of Social Services application process.
6. Arrange to have an in-home assessment and study performed by the Nash County Department of Social Services. Know that this stage of the process involves the county evaluating you, your family, your home living environment and the ability for you to properly and adequately house a foster child. Answer all questions asked during the meeting honestly and allow the assessor to tour your home and look at all areas requested.
Tags: Nash County, foster parent, County Department, County Department Social, Department Social, Department Social Services, Nash County Department