Parent Info-Fost Care FAQ

Parent Information - FAQ

What types of situations bring children into the foster care system?
There are a variety of reasons children come into foster care. Many parents have drug & alcohol or mental health issues that prevent them from making the proper child care decisions. As a result, many children are abused and neglected.

Why is it important to be a resource (foster) parent?
When Children & Youth Services (CYS) are unable to help the family resolve the issues while the child/children are in the home, and appropriate birth family members are unable/unwilling to care for the children, then placement of that child/children in a foster home becomes necessary. While the children are in the foster home, services continue to be provided to the birth family and the child in hopes to resolve the issues at hand so the child is able to return home. Loving and caring families are needed to help support the child and birth family toward their goal of reunification.

What steps are involved in becoming a resource parent?
1.  Call The Children's Home of Reading (CHOR) at (610) 478 - 8129 and ask to speak to a resource parent recruiter about your interest in fostering a child.
2.  Complete the application (located in the informational packet that will be sent to you following your conversation with the resource parent recruiter) and send it in.
3.  Complete 12 hours (6 sessions) of pre-service resource parent training and the required paperwork given to you at first training session at The Children's Home of Reading.

What troubles might I face in becoming a foster parent?

When you chose to foster a child, there are some important points to remember:
1. When you foster a child, a whole system also becomes a part of your life (birth family, agency, CYS, courts, therapists, etc)
2. Providing transportation to appointments, medical care, visitations, and extracurricular activities become a norm to your regular routine.
3. Behaviors that children display in the home are not personal, but rather a reaction to the abuse/losses they have incurred.

How can I assist a child with emotional problems?
Be supportive of the child through their rough moments, seek support from the case manager when needed, and educate yourself through the on-going trainings offered.

How would I be able to adopt a foster child in my care?
After the courts rule out the birth family and extended family members as a long-term option for the child, resource parents will be considered as an adoption resource.

How long are foster children typically in the foster care environment?
ASFA (Adoptions & Safe Families Act) gives birth-parents 12-18 months to show significant progress in completion of court ordered requirements otherwise it gives the courts leverage to terminate parental rights so the child can move into a more permanent family situation. The average length of stay in a foster home is 18 months to 2 years.

What type of living environment is needed to be a foster parent?
The Children's Home of Reading accepts married and single people over the age of 21 to foster children. A clean and safe (smoke detectors on every floor, 5 lb. fire extinguisher(s), all medicines locked up, and cleaning/toxic material stored in areas inaccessible to children, emergency numbers posted by all telephones, etc.) environment. A foster child has to be offered a private (not a walkthrough area) bedroom space with their own bed. The foster child may share a bedroom with a child/children similar in age and gender.

Are there classes to help me along the way?
The Children's Home of Reading offers 12 hours (6 sessions) of pre-service resource parent training. In addition, extra training/support is offered on an on-going basis to address a variety of issues our current resource (foster) parents may encounter. After being approved as a resource parent, the agency offers these ongoing trainings. Resource parents are required by the agency to have 15 annual training hours or 30 for a couple.

What if I need a baby sitter and cannot find one?
When a child is not in the presence of their assigned resource (foster) parent, they must be under the supervision of someone over the age of 21 years with acceptable Child Abuse and Criminal Record Clearances. This could include a licensed daycare provider, or another CHOR resource parent. Resource parents often utilize each other for emergency/necessary childcare arrangements.

Would my foster child attend normal school and do I have the right to sign the parent/guardian papers at that school?
When a foster child of school age is placed in your home, they would be enrolled in the appropriate grade within your school district. The birth parents will continue to maintain the legal right (unless the court order states otherwise) to sign all parent/guardian paperwork required for school and medical purposes. All paperwork can be forwarded to the child's assigned case manager for the appropriate signatures.

Is health insurance provided for the foster child or would I need to supply that?
All foster children will have/be enrolled in a medical assistance insurance plan through their home county medical care coordinator. If they are from Berks County they may currently be established with a medical care facility. You would be required to continue with that medical care facility for continuity of care. If a child is from a county other than Berks, you will have the ability to select a local medical care facility that will accept the medical assistance insurance plan available to them.

Would my foster child be mentally handicapped?
Not necessarily, but some foster children may have or be diagnosed with a Mental Health Disorder such as ADHD, ODD, Depression, Anxiety, etc. due to the trauma they have experienced. Your case manager, child's therapist, child’s psychiatrist, agency trainings, the internet, and your assigned family worker can all help to educate you on these diagnoses and give you suggestions about how to parent children with these disorders.