How do I become a foster parent?

The goal of foster care is to provide a safe, stable, nurturing environment for children who are separated from their families. It lasts until they are reunified or, if reunification is not possible, until a permanent family is found for the child. Foster parents are approved by the state to provide care for children. Each state provides its own criteria and licensing requirements for foster parents. Foster parents receive a stipend or reimbursement for the care they provide.

Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children's Bureau, has a web section on permanency . This web section includes links to a variety of resources, including some on kinship care, adoption from foster care, and more. Information Gateway also has a list of state websites offering contact information for local and county child welfare agencies (in the search tool, select the state of interest through the filter for States, Territories & Tribes). In addition, local child welfare agencies typically offer resource guides and orientation classes for prospective foster parents.

Information Gateway links to the following relevant resources for prospective foster parents:

• State foster care information websites
• Foster care and adoption contact numbers and websites
• State guides and manuals

For additional information on foster parenting, you may be interested in these resources:

• The National Foster Parent Association provides information on basic requirements for becoming a foster parent, frequently asked questions, a history of foster care in the United States, and more.
• AdoptUSKids , a project of the Children's Bureau, presents basic foster parent requirements and more.