Foster care is a state-managed child welfare system that provides out-of-home placement for children who have been removed from their original home due to neglect, abuse, delinquency or abandonment. These children are placed in the homes of certified caregivers until a permanent placement can be made.

Children enter foster care through voluntary or involuntary means. Voluntary placement can occur when a birth parent or legal guardian is unable or unwilling to care for a child. Involuntary placement occurs when a child is removed due to the risk or actual occurrence of harm.

Most often, the goal of foster care is to reunify (or reunite) children with their birth families. In such cases and when possible, children are placed in close proximity to their birth families. Foster placement can last until reunification or other permanent placement is established.

How are children placed?

The Child and Family Team (CFT) will identify the best placement option for the child unless an immediate placement decision must be made due to an emergency removal. The Child and Family Team (CFT) can later be consulted to identify the best placement option after emergency removal has occurred. Indiana policy requires that each child is placed in the least restrictive, most family-like setting that meets his/her needs.

What types of placements are available?

Children can be placed in a licensed foster home, group home or child-caring institution, or other court-approved facility. They can also be placed in the care of approved family members and non-relatives with strong family ties, referred to as “kinship care”. Approved caregivers can become licensed foster parents to receive foster care funding (per diem). Approved caregivers who become licensed are not required to care for additional children.

How is foster care funded?

Foster care is a federally-funded program. However, individual states establish many of their own rules and guidelines, and are responsible for distributing foster care reimbursement payments (per diem) to foster parents. The federal government also provides funding for medical services for children who would have been eligible had they applied at the time the court ordered them to be removed from their homes.

Who is a foster child?

A foster child is a child who has been declared a Child In Need of Services (CHINS) by a judge following the state’s substantiation of abuse or neglect. Some children remain with their birth families following adjudication while others who are at risk of further harm are removed from their home and placed in foster care (or into a court-approved facility).

Foster children represent all genders, ages, ethnicities, cultures and religions. Some may have special medical, developmental, physical, behavioral or mental health needs. All foster children have been affected in some way by the separation from their family. Some foster children exhibit stress and worry in their behavior, which is often the result of previous abuse or neglect. This behavior may be described as “acting out” and it occurs as a result of the child’s circumstances.

Many children in foster care are struggling to cope with grief and loss experienced from being separated from their families as well as from trauma experienced in their pasts. Foster children typically may need extra support, patience, understanding and guidance.

What is a foster parent?

A foster parent is a trained and licensed adult who provides loving support, guidance, safety, and stability to a child or children in the foster care system. Acting in the best interest of children, foster parents work closely and actively with numerous child welfare professionals. These professionals include Family Case Managers from the Department of Child Services, child advocates appointed by the court, social workers, psychologists, physicians, education professionals, or other individuals identified as needed. These individuals work to achieve the ultimate goal of family reunification or other permanent placement.

Like the children they help to nurture, foster parents represent all genders, ages, ethnicities, cultures and religions. They can be single, coupled or married; stay home or maintain a job, rent or own their home; or have children of any age or none at all.

However, they must be financially and emotionally stable, responsible and willing to work with birth families and placement services.

What are the requirements for becoming a foster parent?

Foster care regulations vary from state to state, but to meet the basic requirements, you must be:

21 years of age or older
Able to provide a safe, stable and nurturing home environment
Able to pass a physical examination.
Able to pass a criminal and Child Protective Services (CPS) background check
Able to provide character references
Have a regular source of income and be financially stable
Willing to participate in mandatory foster parent training
Willing to undergo a family home study/assessment
Pass a home safety inspection

Foster parents share an important commonality: They all want to help children in need.

For more information about foster parent requirements, contact Guenevere Kalal, Damar Foster Care Services, at 317.856.5201 or gueneverek@damar.org

How long does it take to become a foster parent?

This process can be as short as 3 months or as long as 9 months. It largely depends on how long it takes for foster parents to fulfill all licensing requirements, including the Foster, Adoption and Kinship Care Training (FAKT) program.

How can I know if foster parenting is right for me?

Foster parenting is a rewarding experience, but it requires sacrifice. Foster children come from various backgrounds — abusive or neglectful families, poverty, or other stressful situations — and many of them may have emotional and behavioral challenges that require counseling or other support. In addition to having adequate time and financial resources to support a child, prospective foster parents are encouraged to realistically consider the emotional impact of helping a child.

Learn all that you can about foster parenting. If possible, talk to skilled foster parents about their experiences. You should also consider attending a Damar Foster Care Services orientation meeting to learn more about the foster parent licensing process and the needs of children in care. If you have any questions or want to register for a foster parent orientation meeting, contact Guenevere Kalal, Damar Foster Care Services, at 317.856.5201 or gueneverek@damar.org

How can I become a foster parent?

If you think that foster parenting is right for you and feel that you can meet the basic requirements, it’s time to begin the application process. If you have questions or would like to talk to a foster care specialist, contact Guenevere Kalal, Damar Foster Care Services, at 317.856.5201 or gueneverek@damar.org

I am a single person. Can I become a foster parent?

Yes. Individuals, couples and relatives can become foster parents.

I am married/wish to share the responsibility of foster parenting with another adult living in my home. Would both of us be required to participate in the foster home licensing process?

Yes. Married couples or two individuals who wish to share the responsibilities of foster parents (e.g. mother/daughter, sister/sister, roommates, etc.) must apply jointly. Both individuals are required to meet the state licensing requirements, and the stability of the relationship and commitment to parent jointly will be assessed.

Can I be a foster parent and still have a regular job?

Foster parents can usually work outside the home. However, if a foster child requires day care, the foster parent is typically responsible for that expense. Foster parents usually need not make a set minimum income nor own a large home.

Can I choose the age of the foster child?

Yes. However, keep in mind that there are many children needing foster care, and through experience and training, you may discover that you are most effective in caring for a specific age group or a range of ages. Foster families are needed most for children ages 11-16, sibling groups and children with special medical, developmental, behavioral and mental health needs.

How long will a foster child remain in my home?

Each child’s length of stay is determined by their family case plan and can be short-term or for an extended time. When possible, the initial goal for foster children is the quick reunification with their birth parents. Biological families are given adequate time to meet identified needs. When reunification cannot occur, permanency placement plans can change to include kinship care, adoption, guardianship or preparation for independent living (for older youth transitioning to adulthood).

What type of support do foster parents receive?

Each family or child is assigned a family case manager from a child-placing agency (Damar Foster Care Services) who is responsible for providing support. Supportive services (respite care, training, crisis lines, etc.) are provided by the licensing agency. Support is also available through state and local associations.

How can a foster parent get respite care?

Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief of duty for foster parents. This “break” can last for just a few hours, a week or longer. Each state or county has its own procedures for providing respite care to foster parents, and many private agencies also provide their own forms of respite.

If you are a foster parent or kinship caregiver, your first step should be to check with your foster care services coordinator to find out what types of respite, if any, are available to you.

Other sources of information about respite care are:
Indiana Foster Care & Adoption Association
The ARCH National Respite Locator Service

How much training does it take to become a foster parent?

Training requirements for foster parenting vary from state to state. Most states require both pre-service training (before you become a foster parent) and in-service training (after you become a foster parent) to maintain your license.

Indiana requires a minimum of 20 training hours for individuals seeking a regular foster care license, and an additional 10 hours for therapeutic foster care licensing. Ongoing training is required to maintain foster care licenses.

How much do foster parents get paid?

Foster parents do not get paid for the job of caring for children, but rather they receive a reimbursement (per diem) that is intended to provide for the needs (e.g., food, clothing, school supplies, etc.) of the children in their care. Each state, including Indiana, sets its own rates for reimbursement. Damar Foster Care Services can provide you with current information regarding Indiana’s reimbursement rates.

How can I obtain health insurance for a child I am caring for?

All children who receive foster care payments from their states are automatically eligible for Medicaid.

How can I locate my child/parent/sibling/relative who is (was) in foster care or who was adopted?

If your relative is currently in foster care, begin by contacting the agency that placed him or her. They should be able to provide you with information about your relative’s custody.

You may wish to consult an attorney who specializes in these matters. You may be eligible for low- or no-cost legal assistance. You can find information about qualifications for free legal aid and locating an attorney in your state on the website of the American Bar Association.

If you or your relative have been adopted, you should contact the state reunion registry in the state in which the adoption took place. You can find that information by visiting the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory or the Indiana Adoption Directory online database. Select the state in the pull-down menu, check State Reunion Registry under Statewide Services, and click on "submit search."