Becoming A Foster Parent

Orientation is a meeting where people can learn about the agency and the foster or adoption programs. The orientation meeting is meant to give an overview of what to expect about the program, becoming certified, the children available for placement, and the training and home study process. If you like what you hear and are ready to proceed with certification you will be invited to the pre-service training. 

The application is the first step in becoming certified as a foster or adoptive parent. It's a necessary requirement to move forward in the process. The form will be handed out at the first pre-service training session. 

Every applicant and adult (over the age of 18) in the home will be fingerprinted when they come to the DCFS office. 

Pre-service training is a series of seven three-hour long sessions that people have to take in order to become certified as  foster or adoptive parents. Both spouses are required to complete this training. Children are not allowed to attend the training sessions.

Home study is a process that takes place during the training period, where caseworkers will conduct interviews, visit your home, conduct safety and fire inspections, and ask for additional paperwork. This process will help you become acquainted with the Home Development Worker.

Placement is the process where a child or children are placed in your home after you become certified. The time it takes to place a child with you may vary depending on the age and type of child you are able to care for. The agency will try to match children with your strengths and preferences, but you can refuse any placement that is offered. During the certification process, you will explore what ages, genders, races, numbers, and types of children you are able to care for and you will be certified accordingly.

Foster care and adoption are closely related to Child in Need of Care (CINC) cases. CINC cases typically involve children who are deemed to be at risk of abuse, neglect, or other forms of harm and are therefore removed from their homes and placed into the care of the child welfare system. Foster care and adoption are two common outcomes for children involved in CINC cases:

1. Foster Care: When children are removed from their homes due to safety concerns, they are often placed in temporary foster care. Foster care provides a safe and supportive environment for children while their birth families receive services and support to address the issues that led to the child's removal. The goal of foster care is usually reunification with the birth family once the safety concerns have been resolved. However, if reunification is not possible, other permanency options, such as adoption, may be considered.

2. Adoption: In some cases, children in CINC cases cannot be safely reunited with their birth families due to ongoing risks or other circumstances. When parental rights are terminated by the court, adoption may be pursued as a permanent solution. Adoption involves legally transferring the rights and responsibilities of parenting from the birth parents to adoptive parents. It provides a stable and permanent family environment for children who cannot return to their birth families.

In CINC cases, the ultimate goal is to ensure the safety, well-being, and permanency of children. The child welfare system, including social workers, courts, and other professionals, works to assess the child's situation, provide necessary services to the birth family, and determine the most appropriate placement for the child. This could involve temporary foster care, reunification efforts, or adoption.

Share Valuable Information 

If you are a foster caregiver, you are very important in the life of the child you are taking care of. You take care of the child every day and have important information that can help people who are making important decisions about the child's life. This means that one of your jobs during court is to give accurate information about the child, either by talking or writing about them. This helps judges make good decisions that are best for the child.

Attend Court Hearings 

It's a good idea to go to court hearings for the child you are taking care of, but you don't have to go if you don't want to. Going to the hearing gives you a chance to tell the court about the child and to find out what is happening in the case. You can also meet and talk with people who are involved with the case, like the child's lawyer, parents, relatives, and people from DCFS or CASA. Court hearings can help solve problems like scheduling conflicts and issues the child is having. Good communication, respect, and support between foster caregivers, the court, the parents, and DCFS are important to make sure the child is taken care of and gets what they need. This is also important for the Quality Parenting Initiative to work well. As the foster caregiver, you can help the child during the hearing by giving them support. Some things at the hearing might be hard for the child to hear or they might have to wait for a long time. Having you there can help them feel better during and after the hearing.

Right To Notice Of CINC Hearings
As a foster caregiver, you have a legal right to receive “notice” from DCFS of any CINC court hearing involving a child in your care. The law requires that “notice” be given to you by DCFS and that it includes the date, time, and location of the upcoming hearing and your right to attend and be heard at the hearing. If the hearing will be held online (i.e., via Zoom), DCFS should provide the login information to you before the hearing. Per DCFS Policy 6-835, you should receive a “Notice Letter” from a DCFS caseworker either in person or by email or mail before each hearing as follows:

• At least 24 hours before the Continued Custody Hearing;
• At least 10 days before the Answer and Adjudication Hearings;
• At least 20 days before the Disposition, Case Review, and Permanency Hearings.

If you have not heard from DCFS within these time frames, it is recommended that you reach out to your caseworker as a friendly reminder that you have not yet received “notice” and would like information on the date and time of the next hearing.

Right To Attend And Be Heard At CINC Hearings

As a foster caregiver, you have a legal right to attend and be heard at all CINC court hearings involving a child in your care. This means you should be able to at least sit in on part, if not all, of the hearing and speak about how the child is doing. While it is usually recommended that you attend all hearings regarding a child in your care, in most cases, it is your decision whether or not to attend. However, if a legal party to the child's case wants you to attend the hearing, they have a right to serve you with a subpoena. A subpoena is a legal order compelling your attendance. If you are served with a subpoena, you must attend the hearing as directed.

Aging out of the foster care system refers to the transition that occurs when children in foster care reach an age at which they are no longer eligible for support and services from the child welfare system. When young people age out of the system, they often face numerous challenges as they transition to adulthood without the support of a permanent family or strong social network. Some critical issues associated with aging out of foster care include:

• Housing Instability 
• Limited Education And Employment Opportunities 
• Financial Challenges 
• Healthcare And Mental Health Needs 
• Lack Of Support Networks 

Organizations and programs are dedicated to assisting youth in their transition from foster care to adulthood, such as transitional housing programs, life skills training, and mentoring initiatives. The goal is to provide comprehensive support and resources to help young adults successfully transition into independent adulthood and overcome the challenges they face. 

Extended Foster Care is a program that provides support and services to young adults who have aged out of the foster care system but are not yet ready to live independently. In the United States, foster care ends when a youth turns 18, but Extended Foster Care provides an option for those who need extra support.

In Louisiana, the Extended Foster Care program provides support and services to young adults. Extended foster care is designed to help young adults who have aged out of foster care to make a successful transition to adulthood, by providing them with the support and services they need to become self-sufficient and achieve their goals.

To be eligible, young adults must have been in foster care on their 18th birthday and must meet certain other criteria, such as being in school or a vocational training program, participating in a supervised independent living program, or working at least part-time. They must also be willing to participate in a case management plan and follow the rules of the program.

The program provides young adults with financial assistance to cover housing, utilities, and basic needs such as food and clothing. Participants also receive counseling and other supportive services to help them develop the skills they need to live independently, such as budgeting, time management, and job readiness.

Extended foster care is designed to help young adults who have aged out of foster care to make a successful transition to adulthood, by providing them with the support and services they need to become self-sufficient and achieve their goals.