Approval Process for a Foster Family Home

In addition to the pre-service training requirement (GPS and CPR/First Aid) the following steps are required in order to assess/approve a potential foster family home.  Additional training may be required based on issues such as presence of a body of water on property (pool, hot tub, lake, etc.), age/medical needs of children to be fostered, etc.

A.   Application and Procedure for Approval

Required submissions & agreements 

•  Application to Operate a Foster Family Home
• Medical Report for Persons Giving Care to Children (each adult member of household)
• Freedom from infectious and contagious diseases statement (all household members
• Financial Report
• Clearance of State Central Registry on Child Abuse and Neglect (each applicant and household members 14 years old or older.
•  Authorization for ABI/FBI Criminal History Information (Consent & Release forms) for each applicant & adult household member, regular overnight visitors and/or substitute caregivers
•  Applicants, adult household members and adult persons regularly visiting overnight must provide at least three personal references. Agency reserves the right to ask for more references in order to meet character and suitability requirements.

B.   Examination & Evaluation of Application – to ensure compliance with Foster Family Home Minimum Standards.

1. Examination of physical components of the home
2. Interviews with applicants, family members, household members, references, etc.
3. Character & Suitability assessment 

Foster/Adoption Readiness Questionnaire

Alabama has over 5,000 children in foster care and of these between 300 to 400 are awaiting adoption.  These are children with a wide range of special needs and a wide range of special gifts. Most are school-aged, some have physical or mental or emotion disabilities, some are brothers and sisters who want to stay together. Many are African American, and most have experienced some degree of abuse or neglect.  What they have in common is the need to be a part of a permanent, nurturing family.

Do I Qualify?

Foster and adoptive families come in all shapes and sizes.  You can be married or single.  You do not have to be rich.  You do not have to own your own home.  Here are a few questions that will help you see your qualifications. Answering yes to these questions is not a guarantee that fostering and/or adopting is right for your family. This Readiness Questionnaire is the beginning of a mutual selection process involving both your family and this agency.

‘Financial:

The basic rule is that you need to assess your financial situation and see if you have enough income to meet a child’s needs.  An adoption subsidy (financial assistance) may be available to children with special needs. Some may also be eligible for Medicaid.  As an approved foster family, you will receive a room and board payment (approximately $14 per day depending on the age of the child) to reimburse you for some of the expenses that come with caring for a child.  You will not be responsible for the child’s medical care cost.  Is your family in the financial situation to take on the responsibility of caring for another child(ren?

 Yes             No             I have some questions:      ________________________________

                                                                                                ________________________________

LBackground:

Children deserve homes where they are going to have their needs met in a safe, nurturing way.  In an effort to insure that this happens, we do a thorough background check of all adults living in the home.  This background check involves checking personal references; local, state and federal criminal records; and the Department of Human Resources’ Child Abuse & Neglect Registry.  If you have been convicted of any crime in the past, it is best to bring this up as soon as possible so that an exception committee can review your situation.  There are some situations were no exceptions can be made.  Do you believe your family is able to meet this requirement?

 Yes             No             I have some questions:      ________________________________

                                                                                                ________________________________

Readiness Questionnaire – Page 2

hHealth:

Every person in the home will be required to have a form filled out by their doctor stating that they are in generally good health and are free from contagious diseases.  Any health situations are considered in assessing your family’s strengths and the type of child that might be best for your home.  Do you believe your family is able to meet this requirement?

 Yes             No             I have some questions:      ________________________________

                                                                                                ________________________________

H Your Home:

Your home needs to be a safe and nurturing environment. It should have sufficient space for each child and his or her personal belongings.  Do you feel your home meets this requirement?

 Yes             No             I have some questions:      ________________________________

                                                                                                ________________________________

sIs this right for you?

The decision to foster should be an informed decision.  You should know your family’s strong points, the needs of the children who have been in the foster care system, the type of child that would best fit with your family, and what impact this will have on your family.  In order to assist families in making informed decisions, all families adopting or fostering through the Department of Human Resources must complete “Group Preparation & Selection (GPS)” or “Deciding Together”. GPS is a 30-hour course that allows potential foster/adoptive families an opportunity to understand the needs of children who have spent time in the foster care system. During GPS sessions and through homework assignments potential foster/adoptive parents are asked questions that allow families to assess their own strengths, and allow the social worker to get to know the family and their strengths.  The groups usually meet for three (3) hours one evening per week for ten weeks. If you are married, both parents are required to attend all sessions.  If you have other adults living in the home (grandparents, adult children, etc.) they are also strongly encouraged to attend. Deciding Together is an alternative to GPS.  It covers the same preparation material but in one-on-one sessions with the facilitator. It is only available when extreme circumstances prevent an applicant from attending GPS sessions. Is your family ready to make this commitment?

 Yes             No             I have some questions:      ________________________________

                                                                                                ________________________________

Are you ready to proceed? Are you undecided and need questions answered or additional information?
 

You may call 1-866-4-AL Kids (1-866-425-5437) and ask to speak to Donna Brock,  Foster/Adoption Recruitment Response Team Specialist.

Credit: Alabama Department of Human Resources

Foster Care in Alabama

Give a Child a Future…

…And see how far they go.

To any child, the world can sometime seem like an overwhelming place.  To a child that has been abused or neglected the world almost seems like it is out to get you.

Fortunately, you can make a world of difference when you open your home to care for a child.  Because you not only foster a child’s growth and happiness, you foster a brighter future – for all of us. 

Right now in Alabama, there are over five thousand children in foster care.  Some simply need foster care for a matter of days.  Others may need foster care until they are reunited with their biological family or a plan is made for them to be adopted. All of these children share the need for a caring and committed family that can bring them the future they deserve.

Who are these children that need foster care? 

• Children of all ages who cannot currently live with their birth families due to the risk of neglect, physical or sexual abuse
• Children from all ethnic and economic groups.
• Children with backgrounds or experiences that have placed them at risk.
• Brothers and sisters who need to stay together
• Teens with various degrees of mental, physical or emotional problems.

What they need most is your ability and your care.

 

Families or individuals interested in providing foster care for children are subject to an approval process.  The main requirement is to have the ability and desire to provide the type of care needed by the children served.

• Foster parents may provide care for one or more children, the maximum of six at any one time.
• Children in foster care have a social worker assigned to them to support the placement and to access necessary services. Foster families also have social workers assigned to support them.
• Foster care applicants complete a 30-hour preparation course and receive information necessary to prepare for a rewarding family experience.
• Families are reimbursed each month for room and board.

 You could be a foster parent if…

• You are at least 19 years of age.
• You can provide a safe, comfortable atmosphere for the child.
• Your home conforms to Alabama Minimum Standards for Foster Family Homes.
• Your home has enough space for the child and his or her belongings.
• All members of your family are willing to share their home with a child who needs care.
• All members of your family are in good health.
• All adults in the home are willing to undergo a thorough background check, including criminal history

Credit: Alabama Department of Human Resources

Adoption and Foster Care Resources

Internet Resources

 

www.dhr.state.al.us (State of Alabama Department of Human Resources adoption information and photo listing)

www.casapac.org (Alabama Post Adoption Connections support and resources for adoptive families and professionals throughout Alabama –includes an adoption resource library)

www.afapa.org (Alabama Foster & Adoptive Parent Association, advocates for foster and adoptive families and the children and families they serve)

www.nfpainc.org (National Foster Parent Association, national organization which strives to support foster parents and be a consistently strong voice for children)

www.fosterparents.com (Foster Care & Adoptive Community, provides training and shares information with foster & adoptive families & other professions working with abused and neglected children)

http://naic.acf.hhs.gov/  (National Adoption Information Clearinghouse – comprehensive resource information on all aspects of adoption)

www.cwla.org (Child Welfare League of America, nation’s oldest and largest membership-based child welfare organization)

Television Partners

www.waff.com (WAFF 48, Huntsville, AL based NBC affiliate that features Kids to Love segments on waiting children)

Credit - Alabama Department of Human Resources Adoption/Foster Care Information Packet 

(Note:  The inclusion or exclusion of any organization on this list does not imply endorsement or lack thereof on the part of the State of Alabama Department of Human Resources.)

In It For the Long Haul

Through its many services, Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connections (APAC) enhances the adoption experience and facilitates stronger bonds and interaction within the family before and after an adoption is finalized. All of APAC 's services are provided to families at no cost.

Interested? Click a link below to read more info or use the contact tab on the right to connect directly with an APAC staff. 

• Information and Referral
• Adoptive Family Support Groups
• Resource Library
• Special Events
• Educational Trainings
• Camp APAC
• Adoptive Family Adjustment/Crisis Counseling

Grief and Loss in Adopted Children

If we adopt babies, we may mistakenly assume that our child's life begins with us. If we adopt an older child, we may wrongly assume that their past is now their past. Adopted children, however, bring multiple issues of loss with them into their adopted families, no matter what age they were adopted.

Childhood grief is often based on different issues than those that impact adults. Donna O'Toole, grief counselor and author of Helping Children Grieve and Grow, writes, "Especially for children a loss may be based on safety, comfort, and familiarity, rather than on what adults speak of as love or affection."

Helping Children Grieve and Grow lists six categories of childhood loss: relationship loss (usually people and animals); loss of objects that give comfort (toys, blankets, clothing); loss of a secure, familiar environment; loss of self (ways of being and doing that define us uniquely); loss of skills, abilities, and competencies; and loss of familiar habits and routine.

Adopted and foster children, no matter what their age, embark upon their newly changed lives facing most of these categories of loss. They've lost their caregivers, their clothes and bedding, their familiar smells, tastes, and sounds; the way they do things; their ability to feel comfortable with their lives and language, and their daily routines.

As an adoptive parent, read about grief and loss in children. Help your child to accept and grow from their grief. It's part of being an adoptive family.

Credit: Susan Ward, founder of Heritage Communications, maintains Older Child Adoption Online Magazine. This regularly updated website includes articles, personal insights, links, books and more. There are special sections on single parenting, reactive attachment disorder, and "Adopted Just Like Me for Kids." Susan is also mama to Hannah, age 9, adopted at age 6 from Russia.

Montgomery Adoption Orientation