If you are seriously considering becoming a foster parent, you probably have a ton of questions. For starters, it may be tough understanding what to look for when selecting a foster care agency.
Choices Foster Care Solutions recommends researching these key characteristics before deciding on an agency:
- Level of support
- Staff experience
- Employee retention
An agency that scores high in each of these areas will help you succeed as a foster parent in the short- and long-term. Read on for more details.
Level of support
The foster care system involves team effort. Foster parents engage with many different people: youth, birth parents and other family members, judges, attorneys, teachers, child advocates, child welfare professionals, mental health service providers, and many others.
Navigating relationships, paperwork, and rules can be very overwhelming – especially when under pressure to care for a youth who needs your immediate care and attention.
Asking a foster care agency the following questions will help you better gauge whether they will give you the support you need, when you need it.
- How will you advocate for my voice to be heard when engaging with the other members of the team?
- What kind of mentoring or coaching do you provide?
- How will you help me find community support?
- What sort of financial help will you provide?
- If I have an emergency, how do I get urgent help?
Staff experience
Experienced foster care staff will be better equipped to guide you, put things into perspective, connect you with the right resources, and relate to your unique family on a personal level.
Before you choose an agency, make sure they have experienced staff. They will be your best assets when things get challenging or just plain confusing. Working through government requirements and understanding the nuances of foster care is not easy. Skilled foster care coordinators, supervisors, and directors will be important resources for you.
When speaking with an agency, be sure to ask:
- What are the minimum qualifications and experience requirements for your foster care staff?
- How many staff members just graduated from college?
- How many staff members have this as their first foster care position?
- How many staff members are foster parents themselves?
Employee retention
There is never a dull moment once a foster youth joins your family. So many adjustments take place initially and as you get to know each other.
In addition to focusing on this critical relationship, you will have to engage with so many different people and form new relationships with them. Many times, you will find yourself sharing the same things over and over or even hearing the same things over and over.
Stability in your foster care agency is incredibly important. You do not want to have to explain who you are or who your foster youth is repeatedly because you are not assigned to the same foster care coordinator. Getting things done quickly with some peace of mind goes a long way – and having a strong, steady relationship with a foster care coordinator helps.
We recommend asking a foster care agency that you are researching the following:
- What is your agency’s employee retention rates?
- How are foster care coordinators assigned to families? Is there a rotation or does the same coordinator work with the family for good?
Choices Foster Care Solutions meets and exceeds expectations in all three areas mentioned in this post. We have high levels of employee retention, an experienced staff that includes people who have been foster parents for years, and our employees are highly responsive to our foster parents’ needs.
If you are interested in learning more about our program, visit our Indiana web page.
This post is part of a blog series celebrating National Foster Care Month. See the previous post here.
Want to follow our blog?
Subscribe to our blog to read stories about hope, teamwork, and community support. We will also share information to help youth, adults, and families.