Being a foster parent is a choice that not everyone can make, and deciding to care for a child in need takes a great amount of patience and devotion. Many foster parents struggle after bringing a child into their home, either because of financial problems or because they don't feel capable of caring for a child with high needs. Fortunately, there are several resources available to provide assistance for foster parents.
Identification
Foster parents provide a safe and supportive home for a child in need. Sometimes children become foster children temporarily, because of some short-term reason their birth parents cannot care for them. Other children become foster children when the state removes them permanently from their parents. Children in either of these circumstances might enter a foster home for care by licensed and qualified parents.
Training
Foster parents get training to prepare them to care for a child who might be feeling anger, grief or loss, and to learn about discipline and behavior management. The length of training depends on the licensing requirements of the state. Foster parents usually also need continuing education to keep their license up to date
Finance
All foster parents receive a monthly stipend that helps defray some of the costs associated with caring for a foster child. The amount varies, depending on the state. Foster parents who care for children who have medical or mental disabilities might be eligible for an increased stipend to cover medical or therapeutic costs.
Support
Foster parents can receive help and support from other foster families through parent associations. These groups of foster parents meet on a social level to talk and offer encouragement about some of the difficult situations involved in caring for a foster child. For example, the Sonoma County Foster Program in California provides mentor relationships, in which an experienced foster parent works with a new foster parent to provide guidance and assistance.
Adoption
The federal government offers a subsidy known as Title IV-E, which is financial assistance for parents to adopt a child out of the foster care system, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Title IV-E helps to remove some of the financial barriers that might prevent foster parents from completing an adoption. The payment can be a one-time compensation for parents to defray the costs of adoption, or it can be recurring, providing ongoing financial assistance.
