Foster Care FAQ

A foster parent is a person who provides all things any parent should give a child such as shelter, food, clothing, medical care; nurturing and positive discipline. Foster parents are also a part of the child's professional "team," which includes the child's birth family, Youthville staff, teachers, therapists, doctors, attorneys and others.

• Must be 21 years old or older
• May be single or married
• Must be in general overall good physical and emotional health
• Be financially able to provide for their own family
• Be able to pass KBI/CANIS Child Abuse background checks
• Own or rent a house or apartment that meets licensing requirements

Usually a child enters the foster care system because of a breakdown in the family home, which makes the home an unsuitable place for the child to live at the present time. Other times, a child may be placed in foster care because of physical or emotional challenges that the birth parents are unable to manage.

Youthville has children of all ages, from all ethnic backgrounds, and from all developmental levels in need of foster homes. The agency has an increased need for foster families willing to care for children who are:

• 12 years old or older
• Siblings
• Need specialized care due to medical issues, or emotional/behavioral issues.

Foster families caring for family level children must obtain a minimum of 16 in-service training hours annually (8 per individual). Families caring for specialized level children must obtain a minimum of 24 hours annually, and families caring for therapeutic level children must complete 40 hours annually. Youthville staff sponsor foster parent support groups monthly in area offices throughout the state. Training may also include attendance at classes, presentations, workshops, conferences, videos, and books.

Children in care of have Medical card. Youthville provides a bi-monthly stipend which helps offset some of the cost of caring for children in foster care. Rates vary depending on the level of care the child requires.

The process takes anywhere from three to six months, depending on which training course you take, and how quickly you complete your required paperwork. Our goal is to minimize the time it takes to become a foster parent, while ensuring that all state standards are met or exceeded.

The training and support services are offered free of charge. There is no licensing fee. However there may be some cost incurred through the process in terms of assuring that the home and family are in compliance with regulations. (i.e. health assessments, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, etc).