Becoming a Foster Parent: The Process

The process to become a Foster Parent is quite an ordeal. When I researched, and you should all know how thorough of a researcher I am by now, I really couldn't find much on the actually process and what it takes to become a Foster Parent. No one really had it spelled out on a simple checklist which was what I was looking for. Now I realize it's different and probably varies state to state but reading forums every night in bed it pretty much is the same process just maybe a few different rules and restrictions. Now I am in California and this is what the process looked like with my timeline:
1. Orientation. VERY helpful and is the starting point in the entire process. My Experience: Completed August 14th
2. Paperwork, Lots & Lots of Paperwork! It's pretty much self explanatory, everything you have they want a copy of and if you don't have it you have to hunt it down until you do! My Experience: Completed September 1st
3. PRIDE Training & The New 3-5-7 Model which are trainings you will have to go through in order to become a Foster Parent. My Experience: Completed in 3 Saturdays, September 7th, 14th & 21st
4. Assigned a Social Work for YOU. If you go through an agency like we did you have your own agency social worker while the children you foster will have their social worker from the county. It is very beneficial! My Experience: Assigned to us on October 3rd
5. Home Study Part 1: The Inspection. This is where they go through your house with a very long checklist of things you need to have or do in your home. My Experience: Completed October 7th
6. Home Study Part 2: The Interview. They will sit down with you, your spouse, and biological children separately and ask a ton of questions about your past, present and future. My Experience: Completed October 14th
7. Sent to Licensing. Your Home Study gets written up and sent to licensing for approval. Once you're approved you will be on the list for a child! My Experience: Still waiting on our social worker
So that's the process in a nutshell! I will be posting ore in depth information on these steps in the near future, so look out for them!
If you have been through the Foster Care Process and would like to share some of your experience let me know by sending me an email at [email protected] or leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!
-Melissa