Why are foster parents needed?
Foster parents are needed to provide
temporary
homes and care for children who are unable to live in their own homes
due
to the substantial risk of abuse and/or neglect. There is a very great
need for more foster parents. Currently, there are not enough
foster
parents in Licking County to serve the increasing number of children
who
are placed in foster care. Too often children are placed in
foster
homes in other counties, which makes it more difficult to provide
services
to the child, foster family and birth family.
Who are the children that are
placed in foster care?
The Agency serves children ages birth
to 18, and in some cases, up to age 21. The majority of children
in the Agency's custody are between the ages of five and twelve;
however,
the number of teens is increasing. These children are from our
community--
only children residing in Licking County are placed in foster homes
certified
by Licking County Department of Job and Family Services.
How do these children come under the
care of the Agency?
Some families voluntarily seek help from
Children's Services and ask that a foster home be provided for their
children
until their family crisis is over. The Juvenile Court also may
place
children under the Temporary Custody of the Agency. Other
children
are referred to the Agency by schools, churches, hospitals, or other
social agencies.
Our Department will follow-up on these referrals to assess whether or
not a child should be considered for Foster Care. The rules
affecting children coming into foster care are set and monitored
by federal and state laws.
Aren't foster children burdened with
all kinds of problems?
Children in need of foster care are often
confused and feel lost because they all share a common element-- all
have
been removed from a familiar way of living and placed into a home of
strangers.
Most children retain loyalties to their birth parents despite the
difficulties
they may have experienced at home. They usually want to return to
their birth families. The aim of foster care is to reunite the
family,
whenever possible, and as quickly as possible. Foster parents take
pride
in their efforts toward assisting a family in reunification.
How to become a
foster
parent
Simply call the Licking County Department
of Job & Family Services Foster Care Unit at 740-670-8725,
740-670-8805
or toll free at 1-888-895-2790 and a Foster Care Coordinator will
be happy to talk with you.
All prospective foster parents are required to complete initial training and a family assessment process. The purpose of the initial training is to provide prospective caregivers more in depth information about the needs of foster children, working with the Agency, and the adjustment process a family goes through when they become a foster family. The purpose of the family assessment, commonly referred to as the homestudy, is to ensure a family meets the requirements for foster parents, as determined by the Agency and the State of Ohio. Just as important, the homestudy process allows the prospective caregivers and Foster Care Coordinator to work together in assessing the family's strengths and needs and to decide what children would fit well with the foster family. Foster parents must complete initial training and homestudy process before children can be placed in their care.