Be a Foster Parent
The Clinton County Department of Human Services needs safe and caring homes for children of all ages, in all areas of Clinton County. As a foster parent, you can make a difference in the lives of children in crisis, and this impact can last a lifetime. If your home can take even one child, it will help make a difference in that child’s life. As a foster parent, you are always free to decide which ages of children you feel comfortable providing care. To be a licensed foster home, your family would need to meet the following general requirements:
· Foster parents can be single or married. They must be at least 18 years of age.
· One or both foster parents may work outside the home. The family must have an income sufficient to meet its needs.
· Families may own or rent housing. Foster homes must provide adequate bedroom space for children, a safe play area, and a telephone. Foster homes must be free from health and fire hazards.
· Family members must pass a criminal background check and a central registry clearance for any protective services involvement. Foster parents must be in good health.
· Be willing to receive initial foster parent training called PRIDE throughout the licensing process and ongoing training each year.
· Foster families will complete a home study with a foster home certification worker. The home study is an educational tool for the worker and the family to help aid in future placement decisions.
· Most importantly, foster parents need to be patient, kind, understanding and willing to provide a loving stable home for a child. This will include have positive child-rearing practices and the ability to provide an emotionally secure environment for a child.
Most importantly, as a foster family, you would need to have positive child-rearing practices and be able to provide an emotionally secure environment for a child. In a time of turmoil for a child, the foster family provides stability and understanding. If you decide to become a foster parent, you will find that it is not the easiest job in the world, but it can be the most rewarding. Foster parents understand they will face different challenges but they will also be times of complete happiness, laughter, and success in something that will end up being rewarding and make all the challenges worth it. People who become foster parents do so out of love and compassion.
As a foster parent, you would benefit beyond words from the knowledge that you are helping a child through one of the most difficult times in that child’s life. You would be a bridge for a child between a troubled past and a hopeful future. Numerous different current foster parents have commented on the fulfillment they receive from opening their homes and heart to child who was in need. “Being a foster parent has been one of the most important and satisfying things I have ever done.”
Research shows that youth in foster care are far more likely than their peers in the general population to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised health, unemployment, incarceration and other adversities after they leave the foster care system in their adult lives. However, the difference between triumph and tragedy in a child’s life comes when caring adults take the time to offer comfort, provide support, give advice, and share a safe and secure environment.
Because of the foster home shortage, children are being placed where space is available rather than where they would be best suited. Siblings are sometimes being split up and sent to different foster homes, or children are being sent to foster homes in other cities, leaving behind familiar neighborhoods and schools. Being removed is already difficult enough it is important to take what ever means necessary to keep children within their existing community. Clinton County is seeking more everyday people to help these youth overcome their troubled childhoods and realize their full potential. No matter what their age, every child in foster care benefits from a meaningful connection to a caring adult who becomes a supportive and lasting presence in his or her life.
Now is the time to get involved. You have the power to do something positive that will change the life of a child in foster care! To get more information about how you can make a difference, please contact Christine Sisung at the Clinton County Department of Human Services at 989-224-5548 or sisungc@michigan.gov.