Fostering 101

So a lot of our friends and family are prefacing their questions like this, “This might be a stupid question, but…” And the reality is that there are no stupid questions about fostering. It’s not a subject that we in America are generally educated about (amongst many other subjects as well – see this blog post).

Anyways, we’re not experts yet, but we thought we’d give everyone a quick and dirty summary/outline of the fostering process as we’ve learned it thus far.

1. What is fostering? In a nutshell, fostering means you become the “temporary” caretaker for children that have been removed from their families by the state/CPS.
2. How long do you care for the children? Theoretically, the State of Texas tries to resolve their cases within 1 year. However, cases can be extended – so a foster parent may have a child for a few days to…?
3. What types of children come into your care? A foster parent will specify what ages, genders, ethnicities, etc. that they are willing to care for… Jaklin and I will be taking all genders & ethnicities and we’ll probably begin with ages 6 and under.
4. How many children will you take? This is regulated by space standards in your home (size of bedrooms, play areas, etc). We currently have room for up to 2 kiddos – remember, most kids come with a sibling(s).
5. How do you start fostering? Generally, one will go through an agency that will act as your advocate when you interact with the state/CPS. Your agency will also put on your trainings, which end in a home study. The home study is a comprehensive interview and check of your home to make sure you have a safe environment for foster kids (i.e. you’re not crazy pants). Including paperwork, training, and all the little things you need to do to be in compliance, the process will take anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
6. Can you adopt these children? If a kid’s biological parents have their parental rights terminated by a judge, and no family member can/will take the children, then yes, foster parents will be the first ones asked to adopt (On that note, if no one adopts the waiting child in foster care, they will "age-out" of the system). But the goal for the state is to reunify. As foster parents, your goal is to keep the kids safe, not adopt. There are kids that are “legal risks,” which means their parents are more than likely going to have their parental rights terminated. If you’re trying to adopt, then you would aim to have children at legal risk placed in your home.
7. Are you guys scared? Terribly.
8. Then why do this? Because of James 1:27, Romans 8:15-16, Deuteronomy 24:19, Exodus 22:22-24, Psalm 10:14, Psalm 68:5, Deuteronomy 14:29. And because you hear stats like if every church in Texas adopted one child from the Texas foster care system that is waiting for a permanent family, then there would be no orphans in Texas. And because it’s time America and the world knew what Christians stood for and not against… (see this blog post for more on why we’re fostering)
   
   Well, hopefully this gives people a rough framework for what foster care looks like. Feel free to leave a question in the comments area and hopefully we can answer it for you!