Becoming a Foster Mother

I actually recruit, train, license, and support foster parents here in Massachusetts. The classes run for 10 weeks (one night a week for three hours usually) but some areas offer condensed Saturday classes, etc. There will be a background check, and home visits. After the classes, a worker will meet with you and your spouse to do a homestudy (which is an in-depth biographical assessment). Once you are approved and licensed, you can start taking kids. When we call, sometimes we know a whole lot about a family, and sometimes we know next to nothing. Sometimes we are looking for a placement in a few days, but more often we are calling to place a child that day. Being a foster family is difficult and trying, but I take offense to the person who said that it is "thankless and exhausting." Of course it is exhausting, but you already have four children so you know what that is like! As for thankless, I think almost all of my foster parents would disagree. It is hard, but gratifying in its own way. "Nothing worth doing is ever easy." As for foster parents with children, they all feel that their children have benefitted overall. It teaches a lot of life lessons, and exposes kids to a whole culture and a side of the world that they may never otherwise know (in a positive way). It makes them aware of other's misfortunes and I believe it makes your own kids more appreciative, more empathetic, and more worldly. I encourage you to call your DCF area office and ask for information. They will send you a packet and you can think about it for as long as you like. We always need good foster homes- for ALL ages and backgrounds. Also feel free to email me privately if you'd like.

a friend of mine is a foster mom, I know there were a lot of hoops for her to jump through I think all states are probably different but I think there are checks on not only you but immediate family members as well. your best bet is to call up the agency for your state and have them send you the literature on it.

We did emergency only foster care.
We actually answered an ad in the newspaper looking for foster families.
We had 6 weeks of classes, they met once a week.
We had a background check and a home check. Both my hubby and I were required to go to the classes.

The children are not allowed to be with anyone else other than those approved by the state, so we did a lot of respite care for other foster families. Babysitters must be over 18 and approved, my 15 yo son could not take care of any of our foster babies.
At times I got no information. I was called and told we have a child 3 yrs, can we be there in 20 minutes.
I had the right to refuse any child if it was not a good time.
We took no children over 10.
THe children came to me dirty with no clothes, diapers, formula, paci's. I kept a supply of essentials.
My kids were 2,5,8,and 14. We did it for 3 years. It was a very humbling experience for all of us. It was also very rewarding, and sometimes very hard.
THe worst part is knowing you are placing a baby back into the hands of the person whose neglect caused the child to come to you in the first place. Each case like those were heartbreaking.
My three oldest loved being foster siblings. My youngest, 2 yo at the time, was not so happy with the tiny babies that came, but really liked the older kids, the 3-5 year olds.

The classes teach you how to handle the preschool/elementary age child who suddenly blurts out abuses. They teach you how to hande the emotional turmoil they are going through. How to make your house warm and safe.

Last year we had a foreign exchange student from Germany. I told the kids, like a foster child without the baggage. That too was a wonderful experience.

The foster care system needs families like you.
God Bless you.

We had to take classes and get licensed. It took a few months.

They told us in the classes that these kids were not like other kids. I didn't believe it. Well, it was true. Without going into a lot of detail, I would just suggest you get a foster child who is pretty young, maybe 5 or less.

Also, remember that they can be taken away from you at any time, so you have to prepare to be heartbroken.

It takes a special person to be a foster parent. I realized it wasn't for me.