How to Become a Foster Parent with New Families

If you love children and have a commitment to learning more about yourself, you can make a tremendous difference in the life of a child. New Families looks for and recruits families who are dedicated to the well-being of the family and all its members. As a foster family, you can care for children and help them transcend their challenges and savor their successes.

The need for loving, caring families willing to provide temporary or permanent homes to children who have been removed from their parents’ homes is growing. Our society needs families who are willing to open their hearts and their homes to these children. If young people do not receive the loving, nurturing support they need to grow into healthy functioning adults, not only do their lives suffer, but they can become a future problem to society and to all of us in the community.

At New Families, we feel that the role of foster parents is one of the most important roles in our society at this time. Those in a healthy society realize that all children are ALL of our responsibility. It is our privilege to work with and support foster families in serving the children who come into the foster-care system. We feel that foster parents are very special people, making a significant commitment that – at its best expression -- carries all family members forward into an adventure of growing, loving and living.

Fostering is obviously not for everyone. Fostering requires high levels of generosity, patience, responsibility and loving. In particular, it is almost certain that, along with the very obvious and practical aspects of caring for a young person in your home, will come emotional experiences that require enhanced skills for all concerned in order to progress in balance. It is the rare parent who finds raising any children a smooth emotional ride.! With this as the case, at New Families we provide a particular focus -- not only on the many talents, skills, abilities and responsibilities required by fostering – but also on supporting emotional intelligence for all members of the family. It is this commitment to nurturing emotional intelligence in the family environment that we feel sets New Families apart from many foster-care agencies.

Our Agency contracts with the Counties that place children with us. The Counties are generally looking at two possibilities for youngsters, based on ongoing evaluation of the birth home. At the outset of a child’s arrival in the foster-care system, Counties typically are focused on the hope of reuniting the children with their birth families. This is called “reunification.” (In this early phase, foster parents might be asked to provide transportation for visits with the birth parents.) In the second phase, if the birth parents are not able to offer a safe home for their child, the County may ask you, as the child’s foster parent, if you can provide long-term foster care, guardianship or an adoptive home.

Certification of a Foster Home:

There are some important requirements that any foster home must meet. The following steps must be taken by all potential foster parents. If you decide that foster parenting is for you, one of our professionals will meet with you in person or on the phone to answer your questions and to assist you through the process of certification. New Families will provide you with a packet of information that will include directions or forms for the following:

*Fingerprinting to obtain clearances from the Department of Justice, FBI and Child Abuse index. Every person over the age of 18 who resides in the household must have these clearances.  If there is something on your record, talk with the Social Worker you are working with, who can probably give you an answer on whether this will prevent you from being certified.

*Current TB Test and clearance for all family members over the age of 18

*First Aid and CPR certification (we can help you access this service)

*Completion of the New Families application forms.

*Health Screening and/or an OK from your physician that you are able to care for children

*Copies of current driver’s license, auto registration and proof of auto insurance

*DMV printouts

*Documentation of current vaccinations for all family pets

*Completion of a floor plan of your residence

*Home inspection which will include assessing location and viability of smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, gas/water/electric shutoffs and possible home exits. At this time we will also make sure the home complies with all state regulations for a foster home.

*12 hours of training prior to certification

*Completion of a home study that will be done with you and the attending Social Worker

*Letters of recommendation from 3 people who know you well

While the list above may seem lengthy, generally speaking, it can be done in 1-2 weeks. When the required information is completed, we will submit all of the pertinent paperwork with the Community Care Licensing Department.  We will then create a certificate that indicates that you are in compliance with the requirements to have a child placed in your certified foster home. Your certification is for a one-year period of time. Your re-certification the following year will consist of a review of your paperwork and a current home inspection. If you move to a new home while doing foster care, your new residence must undergo the same physical inspection. Your certificate will need to be displayed in your home at all times. Also highly recommended is that you have a phone list by your phone with important emergency phone numbers as well as a plan for home evacuation, should the need arise.

Expectations:

A foster parent provides 24/7 care, supervision and emotional support to children who have been placed in their home.  At times it can be difficult to manage and integrate new members into the family. We can assist you with this. You will be matched with a New Families Social Worker. Your social worker will see you weekly to support you and your family in this endeavor. Further, New Families staff are available 24 hours daily, 7 days a week to assist when the need arises. Being a good parent requires a great deal of patience and understanding. To support you in that process, as mentioned earlier, New Families provides ongoing training and support to the families and children in our care.

The certification process can move as quickly as you like. Most parents take 1-3 months to complete the process. There are mandatory 3-hour classes we hold at our office in Felton, CA, three times yearly. As a foster parent, you will be required to have a minimum of 12 hours of additional training yearly. Further, New Families offers special classes. We will notify you of other classes offered through our Agency or through other Agencies in our area.  On occasion, previous classes or workshops that you have done can be counted toward the goal of 12 hours of training prior to the completion of certification. Talk with your Social Worker about your past experiences with children. Some of the required trainings can be done on an individual basis or on-line to help you receive the training you need.

What we offer to our foster families:

*Generous monthly stipend for the child’s care

*Medical card to cover the child’s medical/psychological needs

*Weekly in-home visits with a Social Worker

*Team approach to necessary problem solving

*Monthly foster-parent support group/trainings

*Bi-lingual staff

*Social Workers available 24 hours, seven days a week

*Training and helpful assistance regarding working with children and information of other classes and resources offered in your community

*Connections for the children with resources that can help them with their healing

*Field trips for your whole family.

The need for new foster homes and new foster parents is now! If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, call us at 831-335-8380 or complete the information form by hitting the 'contact us' button above on this page. Information is freely given and there is no obligation. This has to work for everyone!

On behalf of New Families and the children awaiting our services, we thank you for exploring the option of becoming foster parents. We look forward to working with you!