Children need foster parents to provide a safe and temporary home for them when they cannot remain with their birth families. Foster children include sibling groups, older children, and children from diverse cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds. Foster parents are as diverse as the children they care for. Some are married; some are single; some are grandparents; some are parents with young children, adolescents or grown children; some hope to eventually adopt children. The characteristics foster parents have in common are a love for children, an ability to commit to challenges and a desire to make a difference in children’s lives.
Where do children in foster care come from?
Most of the children in need of foster care are in the child protection system because they’ve been abused or neglected. They have been traumatized. Some are coping well, given the circumstances, and others are in great emotional pain and may show that in their behavior. In some instances, children in foster care have special needs, such as emotional and developmental disabilities; their parents need temporary support and foster families offer families that help by caring for their children.
You may read further information about children in foster care by visiting the following website:
https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-3468-ENG
COULD YOU BE A FOSTER PARENT?
The following questions may help you assess whether you have the characteristics and life circumstances common to most successful foster parents.
Do you love children and truly want to help them?
Do you have a happy, stable life?
Are you flexible and able to adapt to changing situations?
Are you mature enough to realize that some children may have difficulty in adjusting to your way of life – until you have gained their affection and confidence? (Ability to accept the child where he/she is mentally, physically, socially and spiritually)
Are you emotionally secure and confident you can be a good parent?
Can you accept children who may not immediately respond to you?
Can you love children despite their behavioral problems?
Can you set firm limits and standards of behavior? Can you discipline consistently and with patience when the children disobey?
Can you view small improvements as victories and accept setbacks as normal?
Can you work with social workers and therapists and birth families to help children overcome problems and develop life skills? Can you accept suggestions and feedback from this team?
Would you welcome the advice and assistance of a department social worker in a team effort to meet the needs of each child?
Can you accept and nurture children with the ultimate goal of returning the children to their birth or extended families? If the children cannot return to their birth or extended families, would you consider adoption?
Could you respect the confidential information the worker gives you about the child?
Could you try to understand problems the child might have with the help of the social worker?
Could you be courteous and friendly towards the child’s relatives without getting involved in their problems?
Could you try to respect the child’s positive and negative feelings for his/her own family?
Could you listen to the foster child’s negative past problems without condemning parents or families involved?
Do you have a healthy sense of humor?
Does your entire family understand and support your commitment to foster parenting?
If you already have children, will they be able to accept a foster brother or sister as a member of the family?
Are your immediate family relationships stable?
Is your family ready to share your home with foster children?
Does your family have support from extended family, friends, neighbors, and other community members?
Are you and the members of your family in your home in good health?
Is your household employment situation stable?
Does your income meet the basic needs of your own family?
Is your lifestyle a good role model for foster children?
Can you invest time in orientation and ongoing training? Information on foster, adoptive and kinship care is online at: http://www.dhs.state.mn.us/CFS/mncwts/
Can you devote significant time and energy to foster children?
Do you have enough space in your home for the child? (Basement bedrooms must have a second exit)
Is your home large enough to comfortably accommodate another person?
Can you make mistakes and learn from them?
Can you transport foster children to meetings and appointments?
If you answered most of the questions with a definite yes, and if you are interested in opening your home and your heart to a child, please telephone your County Human Services Department. There are children waiting for your love and skillful care.
For further information on becoming a Child Foster Care Provider, please contact:
Carla Johnson-Rownd
Otter Tail County Human Services
530 Fir Avenue West
Fergus Falls, MN 56537
(218) 998-8237
cjohnson@co.ottertail.mn.us
