Becoming a Licensed Foster Parent

Erin Hamson
Behamson@yahoo.com
November 6,2010

Introductions of presenter and attendees

Why do people become foster parents?

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What are some of your motivations?

Whyare these important?

Maryland Needs Foster parents!

What are these needs?

Do you see yourself called to any of the above needs?

What are these numbers?

7957
423, 773
(refer to hand out)

Place Matters
(refer to hand out)
What is Place Matters?

In other words:

There is a for every and a for every _

It is the _
 How do they do this?
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Getting Started in the Licensing Process ©

(refer to hand out)
What is a mutual assessment?

After reading the comprehensive list of family assessment guidelines and requirements
how do I feel about the home study process?

Time Lines (hurry up and wait)

A completed home study takes months to complete from the first step
taken to the ink drying on your license.

What can SOMETIMES speeds up this process?

How long until a child is placed in your home?

Details about Foster Parenting in Maryland (and most states)

3 typical outcomes
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The Family to Family Model:

What do our kids look like?

Age: Reason why they are in care:
Race: Effects:
Gender: other:

Your role and the 5 competencies

*Protecting & Nurturing children
*Meeting developmental needs & addressing developmental delays
*supporting relationships between children & their families
*Connection children to safe nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime
*working as a member of a professional team

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Money and expense issues (in Maryland)

0-11 per diem $__ monthly $ _
12+ per diem $__ monthly $ _
Intermediate 0-11 per diem $__ monthly $__
Intermediate 12+ per diem $__ monthly $__

What about adoption fees?

How about medical, dental, food and more?

Is Foster Care a business? Why is it?

$ invested into foster care a year.

Where does this money come from?
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 FOSTERI ADOPTIVE LICENSING REQUIREMENTS
Application
• Applicants must be 21 years of age
• Applicants may be single or married
• Applicants may live in own apartment or house
• A minimum of two visits to the applicant's home is completed by the
approval worker

Family Life to be discussed and evaluated in Home study

• Family of origin - past and present family situations
• Childcare practices - including discipline methods
• Atmosphere of home life, lifestyles, relationships, and schedules
• Motivations/Expectations in becoming foster parents
• Parenting adjustment issues and support systems
• Interviews of all family members residing in the home
• Feelings about infertility (if this is an issue)
• Home Safety (i.e. childproofing, medications, pools, hot tubs, CPR
requirement for both parents)
• Smoking is prohibited in Foster Homes
• Bunk beds may not be used for foster children

Criminal Background Checks

• Fingerprinting for each household member 18 years and older
• Includes both State and FBI clearances, paid for by the Department
• Other public information databases will be utilized to obtain information
about prospective foster/adoptive parents (i.e. Maryland Judiciary Case
Search, Maryland Sex Offender Registry, and other investigative search
engines)

Child Protective Services Clearance

• Every household member 18 years and older must sign a consent for a
child protective services clearance
• Every household member 18 years and older must provide a list of
addresses lived from the past five years and consent to CPS clearances in
those states.
• The Department may not approve or continue to approve a foster home in
which an individual has an indicated child abuse or neglect finding.
Motor Vehicle Clearances
• Signed consents from every household member 18 years and older to
identify their driving history with MVA
Medical Information
• Everyone in household must have a physical 'examination
• Household members ages 16 years and older must have a medical form
completed by a physician, form is provided by the Department
• Household members under the age of 16 must have a statement of health
from physician, in addition to a copy of immunization records
• A TB test is mandatory for every household member
• Re-examination every two years for every member of the household

Financial Statement and Income Verification

• Applicants must be able to meet family's financial obligations
• Completed Financial Statement, form provided by the Department
• Verification of income - either one-month of pay stubs from current
employment or W-2 tax form which indicates annual income from current
employment
• Child Support Arrearages (circumstances surrounding amount owed and
repayment plan)

Discipline Policy
• Prospective foster/adoptive parents must agree with and sign the State of
Maryland Discipline Policy, i.e. including agreeing not to use physical
punishment.

Firearm Survey
• Firearms safety form must be completed, form provided by Department,
demonstrating firearms are kept in accordance with COMAR regulations.

References
• Three (3) personal references are required - i.e. relative, co-worker,
friend, or neighbor
• All three (3) references are provided a written questionnaire
• Two (2) references have a face-to-face follow-up and one (1) reference is
completed by phone or mail
• Educational references for each child in school are required

Identification
• Certified copy of marriage license required, if applicable
• Certified copy of all divorce decrees required, if applicable
• Copies of birth certificates required for all family members living in home

Training
• The completion of 27 hours of PRIDE Foster/Adoptive Pre-Service Training
• Demonstrate ability and willingness to work with agency and birth parents
Health Department Inspection
• Request for sanitation inspection, submitted by and paid for by the
Department.
• All pets must have current rabies vaccination
• Well water must pass by a private water testing lab and results provided
to Health Department. Water testing fees paid for by the Department.

Fire Marshal Inspection

• Fire inspection, submitted by and paid for by the Department

Licensing Capacity & Living Quarters

• Foster Care requirement states the maximum number of children to be
placed with a family is six (6), including family's own children.
• Each foster child must have his/her own bed
• Children of different genders shall not share a bedroom
• Children over the age of two (2) shall not share a room with an adult aged
18 years or older

Day Care Arrangements

• If a family is also licensed as an in-home daycare provider, the Child Care
Administration and the Department must enter into an agreement, due to
licensing issues.
• When child care is needed for foster children, care must be provided
either by an approved adult in the foster home, or the child may attend a
state-licensed family daycare home or child care center.
• The Department pays a significant portion of day care expenses.
There are some questions you should consider before you decide whether or not
you want to be a foster parent Taking a child into your home is a very important
decision, and the following questions are designed to help you make a decision
that is right for you

ARE YOU FOSTER PARENTI MATERIAL?

1. How will my lifestyle chahge if I become a foster parent?
2. What goals do I have for my life? What is important to me?
3. Do I have the time and (energy to care for a foster child?
4. What age child will reallsttcally be best for my family?
5. Am I ready to give up some of my freedom, or arrange my lifestyle to
include a child?
6. Will I be willing to spend my time at home more and socialize less?
7. Can I afford my own expenses, knowing that compensation for having a
foster child will be onlvenouqh for the child's needs?
8. How will a child fit into tny neighborhood?
9. How will being a foster parent change how I want to grow and develop?
10. How much time am I Willing to commit to a child?
11. Am I willing and able td take a child to counseling sessions, doctor's
appointments, court hearings and other regular appointments?
12. Am I willing to attend C()unseling sessions with the child?

HOW CAN I BENEFIT FROM BEING A FOSTER PARENT?

1. Do I like doing things With children?
2. Do I like activities that ~:hildren
, could do also?
3. Do I want a child to be '.'Like me?" Should he/she call me Mom or Dad?
4. How will I view a child'~ different values and ideas? Will I attempt to get
the child to accept my 'Values?
5. Do I want a boy or girl r,oster child?
6. Do I want one, or more?
7. How about siblings or tl:~enagers?
8. What ages?
9. Do I want acceptance ~Irgratitude from a foster child?
10. Why do I really want to take a foster child into my home?

WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUI r~.AISING A CHILD?

1. Do I like children?
2. Will I be able to put uP With the noise and confusion?
3. How do I deal with mY own frustration and anger?
4. How do I handle other people's anger and frustration?
5. How easy is it for me to tell others what I want or need or what I expect
from them?
6. How willi set my rules and enforce them?
7. Am I able to give a child the love he/she needs?
8. Is it easy for me to show love?
9. What is discipline to me?
10. Am I open to new ideas?
11 . What will I do if a child doesn't cooperate with me, or refuses to follow my .
rules?
12. Can I keep the information that I learn about a child confidential?

HOW DOES MY FAMILY FEEL ABOUT BEING A FOSTER FAMILY?

1. Does my partner also want to share his/her life with a foster child?
2. How about my own children?
3. Have we discussed fostering as a family?
4. Are we secure and stable enough to add a foster child to our family?
5. Will this cause undue stress?
6. Are we both ready to give the time and energy to a child?
7. Will one of us invest more in a child than the other?
8. Can we be a team?
9. Could we share our love with a child without other family members
becoming jealous?
10. How will a child fit into our religious life?
11. Are we willing to allow that child to pursue his/her own beliefs, or to
choose not to attend church?
12. How will my children accept another child into their lives?
13. Do they want to share their rooms, toys, friends, and parents with another
child?
14. How will I feel about a child being removed from my home?
15. How do I feel about the child's birth parents and the problems they may
have?
16. Am I able to understand that a child still loves his/her parents and that'
should not interfere with this relationship?
17. What does my family have to offer a child who needs a good, stable,
loving home?

Which of these questions do we need to discuss

more thoroughly before making a decision?
 The Place Matters initiative will improve DHR's
services to Maryland's children and families
Keep children In their communities
Keep mdre children at home with their families
and offer more services in their communities,
across all levels of care

Place children in families first Better

Place more children who enter care with
An approach
thatpromotes
relatives or ,inresource families as appropriate outcomes for
,. ,

to meeting their needs, leading to fewer

safety, family children in congregate care setting children and
strengthening,
permanency, families ln
Minimize length of stay
and community Reduce length of stay in out-of-home care and Maryland
based services increase reunification

for children and

families hi child
welfare .. Reallocate resources
Shift resources from the back-end to the
front-end

Manaige with data

Ensure that managers have relevant data
to improve decision making, oversight, and
accountability