• You may be a single or married adult.
• You might have limited or extensive experience with children.
• You could be a homeowner or rent your home.
• You can be employed or not, but must be financially self-sustaining.

You must pass the following:

• A criminal background clearance and clearance from the Child Abuse Central Index
• A general health screening
• All state licensing requirements
• An inspection of your home and grounds

You must possess the following:

• A valid driver’s license
• A currently registered and insured passenger vehicle

You must complete the following:

• A home inspection and a family assessment, including personal interviews with anyone living in or frequently in the home
• Foster parent orientation and pre-certification training

• Emotionally stable and free from substance use disorders (drug and/or alcohol).
• Possess a genuine desire to help and care for youth who’ve experienced trauma.
• Enjoy spending time with youth, especially those between the ages of 8 and 17.
• Have a willingness to support a wide range of needs and behaviors in a positive, constructive manner.
• Have a willingness to work as part of a team and be comfortable having Family Care Network staff in your home.
• Be flexible and willing to learn new parenting skills and participate in ongoing training and development.
• Be sensitive to ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity, including LGBTQ+ individuals.
• Have the ability to show empathy to youth with diverse and/or challenging needs.
• Have the ability to provide well-defined structure and engaging activities for youth.
• Have a strong, natural support system outside of Family Care Network.

• All conditions and requirements for approval will be thoroughly explained to you at the beginning of the process.
• To care for foster youth in your home, you must be approved by the agency.
  • This process requires a social worker from FCNI to visit your home and meet with you and others living with you.
  • As required by law, there are personal, safety, and space requirements for you and your home that must be met.
• Prospective foster parents work with FCNI staff to review the approval process before any commitment is made.
• Due to the number of steps involved in becoming an approved foster parent, the certification process takes an average of 3 to 6 months.
  • Timing ultimately depends on how quickly clearances are received and how quickly required forms, interviews, and training sessions are completed.

Our foster parents receive extensive training that includes:

• An orientation to foster parenting
• Family Care Training to improve effective communication skills
• Crisis de-escalation techniques
• CPR, First Aid, and Community Water Safety training
• Confidentiality and HIPAA training
• Workbook on trauma-informed foster parenting
• Program-specific training
• 24 hours of annual training

All of Family Care Network foster parents receive comprehensive support from our staff, including a 24/7 on-call mental health team, social worker, and case supervision.

Family Care Network foster parents play a vital role as professional members of a foster youth’s treatment team. Some foster parent responsibilities include:

• Providing a safe, caring, healthy home environment
• Maintaining open communication with Family Care Network staff
• Working closely with our clinical staff on treatment issues and implementing case plans
• Participating regularly in training programs
• Keeping your youth’s file up to date with case notes, health information, etc.
• Providing normal transportation for health care, school functions, clothes shopping, etc.
• Assisting your youth in setting and reaching goals
• Providing adult supervision of foster youth in the foster home

• All Family Care Network foster parents receive financial support based on a state-assigned, tax-free rate structure that can range from $1,200 to $7,000 monthly, depending on the foster youth’s age and needs.
• These funds are provided to support the care of your foster youth.
  • Typical expenses include: food, clothing, personal hygiene supplies, allowance, school supplies, supervision, recreation, transportation, housing, and utilities.

Before a family is contacted with a referral, Family Care Network carefully considers the abilities and preferences expressed by each foster family and the specific needs of the foster youth at the time.

• Before becoming a foster parent, you will be asked your preference regarding the age and gender of the youth you feel most comfortable caring for. 
• You will receive as much information as possible about each foster youth so you can better understand their needs. Foster parents are encouraged to ask questions and express their feelings before taking a placement. 
• The final decision for placement is made by the clinical supervisor with the approval of the foster parents and the foster youth.
• Please note: It may not always be possible to meet the foster youth before placement. On occasion, a Social Worker can request this meeting if you ask for one.

Placements are made carefully to reduce foster youth moving between multiple homes. However, there are times when placements require adjustments for the benefit of the youth and/or the foster family. Our staff will work closely with you and your foster youth in implementing the best possible solution for everyone, including a change of placement when necessary.

The length a foster youth is in a foster home is determined on an individual basis, but most Family Care Network foster placements are less than one year. Our foster parents are asked to make at least a one-year commitment. Some foster parents choose to permanently adopt their foster youth but this is not required or expected.

Foster youth are not required to have their own bedroom, but each youth must have their own bed, dresser/storage, and sufficient closet space.

Foster youth may share bedrooms, but it is preferred that this occurs only for siblings. A foster youth MAY NOT share a room with an adult unless they are under 2 years of age. 

All foster youth have medical and dental coverage. You must ensure that your foster youth is current on all medical and dental appointments and vaccinations. Our staff will assist you in this process.

When it is appropriate for a foster youth to have visits with their biological family, our staff will coordinate the visits. Usually, the progression moves from supervised visits, to unsupervised visits and then to overnight or longer visits.

Family Care Network encourages you to include your foster youth in your family’s activities, including religious activities. The youth has the right to attend a church of their choosing or to refuse to participate in any religious activity. Every effort is made by our staff to place foster youth in homes compatible with their belief systems.

It is the foster parent’s responsibility to supervise the foster youth’s attendance and monitor their progress. Our staff maintain ongoing communication with each foster youth’s school and teachers to help keep them on track academically and behaviorally. We can also support them in accessing tutors or other academic support.