The advantages of being a foster parent are numerous, but it's not a role to jump into quickly. Before you make the decision to become a foster parent, be certain you really want to do it--taking a vulnerable child into your home and then changing your mind can be emotionally detrimental to you and to that child.
Emotional
The most obvious benefit of becoming a foster parent is emotional satisfaction, as you'll have an opportunity to deeply impact the life of a child. Often children in foster care come from disruptive homes or have parents who cannot care for them properly. When a child gets his needs met physically and emotionally, lives in a safe environment and has boundaries established for him, he can thrive. For a foster parent, it can be very rewarding to be the facilitator of this positive change. Through the multitude of experiences that come with taking in children, foster parents find that their own sense of personal and family awareness grows as well, giving them new perspectives that often facilitate change in their own lives.
Educational
Due to specific situations and challenges that a child may present upon placement, foster parents have an ongoing opportunity--and often requirement--for continuing education. Foster parents quickly become students of such topics as family dynamics, relationships, certain mental health conditions, and state and governmental systems. Education is often provided free of charge by your licensing agency.
Financial
As a foster parent, you will be compensated for your commitment, because you are fulfilling a "job" requirement established by the state. You must take your job seriously and live up to the expectations and requirements of that position. Most foster parents don't become licensed because it's a job--they do it because they want to make a difference. However, your efforts are rewarded financially, as in any other job. You will be paid a monthly service fee for your commitment, including funds allocated for the child's food, shelter and clothing. A foster parent's income is tax exempt.
