Generally speaking...
If you have a loving, stable home and solid parenting skills, you can become a foster parent. You can be single or married and it doesn’t matter whether you have children of your own. People who work outside the home can also be foster parents. There are some specific requirements you must meet. You must:
- Be at least 18 years old.
- Have enough room (and beds) in your home for a foster child to sleep and keep his or her belongings.
- Have a home that can meet fire, safety and sanitary standards.
- Be physically and emotionally capable of caring for children.
- Have no alcohol or drug abuse problems.
- Be able to pass a criminal background check and have no substantiated record of abusing or neglecting children.
- Make enough money to provide for your own family, so you do not need to depend on the foster care reimbursement you receive from the state as income.
Children who require out-of-home care generally come under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court. The juvenile dependency process involves a series of hearings and case reviews which may result in foster care placement, including placement with relatives.
A license is required to operate a foster home. The process requires a licensing worker to visit your home and meet with you and other family members. Minimum personal, safety and space requirements are required by law. Foster parents work with social services staff to decide the type of child best suited for their home.
If you have a heart for helping children in need, and you’d like to become a resource family, please call us at 209-966-2000 and ask for the Resource Family program, or email hhsarfa@mariposacounty.org