Foster Parents

Information and resources to help with your decision to become a foster parent, including education requirements, foster care rates, challenges, and rewards.

Becoming a Foster Parent
For some it's a first step toward adoption. For others it's a proactive statement of nurturing, advocacy, and love. But it's not for everyone. Here's what you need to know.

Glossary of Terms
Definitions of words and phrases frequently used in connection with adoption and fostering.

Multiple Transitions
Special thanks to Michael Trout of The Infant-Parent Institute for allowing us to reprint the script of the video "Multiple Transitions: A Young Child's Point of View on Foster Care and Adoption". What would even the youngest children tell us if they could? Perhaps these are their words.

Treatment Foster Care: One Parent's Story
Treatment/Therapeutic Foster Parenting provides a crucial service to children dealing with extreme challenges. One parent tells us how this differs from traditional foster parenting, and details about training, services and therapy programs.

Foster Care Specialists
Contact information for the foster care specialist in every state.

Foster Parenting: Does It Hurt a Marriage?
Our Guides to Marriage explore the stresses of foster parenting and their effect on a marriage.

Looking for Mr./Ms. Goodworker
Is there such a thing as the ideal social worker for your family's needs? Maybe not, but an experienced foster care and adoption professional thinks there's hope. Guest author: Emil Baldwin, Jr., LSW

Canadian Foster Parents Home Page
A networking and information center for foster parents.

Definitions of Terms
An introduction to some of the terms frequently encountered by foster parents.

Emilville High School
Social worker Emil Baldwin, Jr. is a foster care professional with some excellent advice.

Guidelines from Claudia
An experienced foster parent offers common sense advice to newbies.

Questions Before Placement
Questions to ask before accepting a placement in your home.

Safety Checklist
Going through this list will help you prepare for the renewal or application process for your foster parenting license.

Background information on the recent ABC investigative report on kids in foster care by John Stossel. ABC News