Is There Financial Help To Foster and Adopt?

A daily board rate is paid to certified Foster/Adoptive parents to assist with the child’s monthly expenses. The board rate is intended to help with clothing, food, personal hygiene products, a personal allowance for the child and gifts for the child for occasions like birthdays. Foster/Adoptive Parents are not paid. The board rate is for the child’s needs. The agency provides for the medical needs of each child, therapy expenses, and evaluations. The child’s worker or supervisor is available to address problems 24 hours a day.

Financial assistance may be available for families adopting children with special needs because of age, race, handicap, intellectual, emotional or medical problems, or for members of a sibling group who are adopted together.

Several support services are available to Foster/ Adoptive Parents. Parenting foster children can be demanding and different from other parenting experiences due to the special needs and histories of each child in the foster care system. A few support services include in-service training, frequent contacts from the Home Development Worker, reimbursement for mileage to required activities, and membership in a local Foster/ Adoptive Association.

What Is The Next Step To Foster/Adopt?

If you are interested in becoming a Foster/Adoptive Parent, you can attend an orientation session where more information is given about the program, becoming certified, the children available for place¬ment, and the training and home study process.

If you like what you hear and are ready to proceed with certification, you will be invited to the pre-service training.