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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is foster care?
- What Children need foster homes the most?
- Can we choose the child we want?
- Can a single person become a foster parent?
- How many foster children can we take?
- Do all foster children have problems?
- What kind of support will we receive?
- Financial
Assistance
- Medical Care
- Education Services
- How do we become foster parents?
- What types of foster parents are there?
- How long does it take to get
a foster child?
- How will our children react to
foster children?
- Do foster children need
individual bedrooms?
- Can we take our foster child on
vacation with us?
- Can our foster children go to
church with us?
- Do a child's parents visit him
or her?
- Can we ever adopt a foster
child?
- Won't it be hard on us when
the foster child leave our home.
What is foster care?
Foster care is when the Illinois Department of Children
and Family Services (DCFS) temporarily places a child in a home other than his
or her own. DCFS does this when it is necessary to protect the child form
abuse, neglect. or other family problems. When possible, DCFS or other
agency works with the child's parents to help them do whatever needs to be done
so their child can come home. when that cannot be done, steps are taken to
find a more permanent home for the child, such as an adoptive home.
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What children need foster homes the most?
Children all ages and nationalities need foster
homes. Children who currently need homes the most are;
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Brothers and sisters who need to stay together
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African-American infants and children
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Teenage mothers and their babies
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Children with special medical needs and those who
have behavior and emotional problems
-
Teenagers
-
Latino children
-
Babies born with the HIV (AIDS) virus or with
cocaine or other drug in their system
-
Native American Children
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Can we choose the child we want?
You can state the age, race, and sex of a child that
you think would best fit in with your family. You do not have to accept a
child. You may feel that a child would not fit in or you may feel that you
cannot give a child the care he or she needs. If so, just tell the staff
person who asks you what you prefer not to care for that child.
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Can a Single person become a licensed foster
parent?
Yes
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How many foster children can we take?
That depends on may factors such as your
ability, your commitment, how many children currently live in your home and how
much room you have in your home. The maximum number, including other
children who live in your home is set by DCFS licensing standards.
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Do all foster children have problems?
Most of them do, to some degree. Many are
frightened and confused at the sudden separation from their parents. Some
are angry. These problems may lessen, though, as the begin to feel safe
and nurtured in your care.
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What kind of support will we receive?
As a licensed foster parent,
you are an important part of the child welfare team. The child
welfare agency who supervises your home and your child's caseworker are
responsible for supporting you to help you be a good foster parent. Each agency, including DCFS, has developed supports, which
may include foster parent support groups, newsletters, after hours telephone
numbers, and community resources. You may always call the caseworker, and
most agencies have experienced foster parents whom you may call for advice or
help.
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Financial Assistance
Foster parents in regular foster care programs receive a monthly check to
cover the child's food, clothing and personal allowance. the amount of the
check is based on the child's age and any special needs.
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Medical Care
Each foster child gets a medical card from the state which pays for all
necessary medical care. You will be given a number to call to get help in
finding a doctor for children placed with you. The medical card is also
accepted by many hospitals and for approved prescriptions. You will not
have to pay any medical bills yourself.
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Education Services
Foster children go to regular public schools unless the need education which
public schools cannot give. Private or parochial school tuition cannot be
paid by the State. Foster children may attend private or parochial
schools, but only if the tuition is paid by some other source and only if DCFS
approves.
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How do we become foster parents?
You must be licensed to be a foster parent. Call 1-800-624-kids to
express your interest. Then a local DCFS or private child welfare agency
representative will contact you about foster care. He or she will then
make an appointment to come to your home. That person's job is to decide,
with you, if foster care is a good plan for your family and, if so, how you can
best help foster children.
The representative will also give you a foster home license application and
medical forms to have completed for everyone who lives in your home. The
law requires that a criminal background check be run on all applicants and other
adults in the home, so you and other adults who live in your home will be
fingerprinted. In addition, you will be asked to provide the names of
three people who know you well, and they will be contacted. Check of the DCFS Child Abuse and Neglect Tracking System will also be run.
While these checks are being run, you must attend training classes to help
prepare you to be a foster parent.
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What types of foster parents are there?
Most foster parents care for children whose goal is to be reunited
with their parents or other family members as soon as possible through a regular
foster care program for abused or neglected children.
Sometimes children in foster care need extra or special
care from the foster family. If so, the family must have the skills,
knowledge and experience to meet the individual needs of the children.
Foster parents who either already have necessary skills, or are willing to be
trained to meet the special needs of these foster children, may become part of a
specialized or treatment foster care program which provides extra or special
care to children. These foster families receive extra payments each
month.
In certain circumstances it may be that children placed
in your home can never return to their parents. When this occurs, you may
have the option of helping to prepare these children to be adopted by you, or
you may be asked to help them get ready to be adopted by someone else.
DCFS also offers another option for permanency.
It is called Subsidized Guardianship. Under this program, you do not adopt
the child, but you become the child's legal guardian, and you receive supports
from DCFS
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How long does it take to get a foster
child?
The licensing and training process takes about 90
days. When that process and your training is completed, and after you have
received a license, children can be placed in your home.
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How will our children react to foster
children?
That is very hard to predict. It is important that
you talk with your children and other family members before you apply for a
foster home license. If you've prepared them well for the coming of foster
children and they understand foster care is temporary, there should be few
problems. It's not unusual for your children to be a bit jealous at first
-- just as they might be jealous of a new baby in the family.
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Do foster children need individual bedrooms?
No. A foster child can share a room with your
children or other foster children of the same sex. Usually the child must
have a bed of his or her own. A foster child may not share a bedroom with
an adult, except for brief periods such as a child's illness. these
requirements are in the foster home licensing standard and they will be
explained to you by your licensing worker.
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Can we take our foster child on vacation
with us?
Usually you can. But If it involves out-of-state
travel, you must call your child's caseworker and get his or her approval.
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Can our foster children go to church with
us?
Usually the answer is yes. Many children attend
church or worship services with their foster families. Sometimes, though,
the parents ask that their child be taken to the place or denomination of
worship that the child has been attending.
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Do a child's parents visit him or her?
In most cases, yes. In fact, visits between parents
and children are an important step toward helping children to go back
home. The caseworker5 will talk with you and the child's parents to work
out the time and location of the visits.
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Can we ever adopt a foster child?
DCFS generally tries to return foster children to their
families when it can be done safely. However, if the child becomes
available for adoption, you may be considered as an adoptive home for the child.
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Won't it be hard on us when the foster
child leaves our home?
Yes. That is, in fact, the hardest part of being a
foster parent. You will certainly feel sad for a time. It's only
natural—just as it's natural for your foster daughter or son to want to return
to their parents or to have a permanent family of their own. Your foster
parent training will help prepare you to deal with these situations.
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