Foster parents should provide stable, loving care to their foster child.
Foster parents are stand-in parents who care for youth under the age of 18 who have been removed from their home for any reason. The foster child may have been neglected or abused and may require specialized care from her foster parents. Foster parents are sometimes able to adopt their foster child, but foster care is often a temporary situation while the biological parents receive help and work to gain back custody of their child. Foster parents have to go through a process to become licensed before a child can be placed in their care.
Instructions
1. Make sure you are eligible to become a foster parent. You must have space in your home and life for a child, and be able to adequately love that child and provide the care they need. You can be single or married, but you must be at least 21 years of age, a resident of the State of Tennessee, and in relatively good health. It does not matter whether you work as long as you can financially provide for the child.
2. Attend an orientation meeting to learn about a foster parent's responsibilities. Take notes about the process of becoming licensed so that you are familiar with the procedures. The orientation will also teach you about the special needs of children requiring foster care. Contact the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS) at 1-877-DCS-KIDS to find upcoming orientation meetings.
3. Submit an application to become a licensed foster parent. When you contact the Tennessee DCS about orientation meetings they will set you up with an application that includes background information on your family and the reasons you want to become a foster parent. You will need to provide five references and be fingerprinted, and the Tennessee DCS will complete a background check on you and any members of your household.
4. Attend 30 hours of training. Tennessee DCS provides a preservice training program called Parents As Tender Healers (PATH) that you are required to attend prior to becoming a foster parent. The training program is a total of 30 hours. Bradley County residents complete PATH training at Cleveland State Community College; you can register for PATH training online or by contacting the office of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Child Welfare Initiative by phone or email (see References 6).
5. Undergo a home evaluation, which federal and Tennessee state law require of people who want to become licensed foster parents. The DCS worker will meet with you in your home and ask questions about your personal history, your family relationships, your reasons for wanting to become a foster parent and your support systems. The home study determines whether your home is safe and has enough space for a foster child.
6. Work with the Tennessee DCS to place a child in your home once you have received your approval and foster home licensure. You will receive a brief history and background on the child needing foster care; you are not obligated to take in any child that you don't believe is the right fit for you and your family.
7. Work hard to meet the needs of any child placed in your care. Provide a safe, nurturing and stable environment. Continue to cooperate with the DCS and provide loving care to the child. Consider joining the Bradley County Fosterparents Association in Cleveland, Tennessee; you can find information on the Tennessee page of the Foster Care and Adoptive Community website (see link in Resources).
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