Types of Foster Families

There are many places that a child who has been removed from their biological home may find themselves.  There is a team of people within Family Services aptly named, "The Home Finding Unit".  These are avenues and terms they will utilize. These all fall under the foster care umbrella.                               

Resource Parent (RP)-This is anyone being considered to provide care for a child coming into care, or a child who is already in care. This can be someone who comes forward and wishes to take responsibility, or it can be someone who is recommended by the birth parent.  If approved, and then vetted, the RP then takes specialized kinship classes or regular foster care classes while they have the child in their home. 

Kinship Care-Since The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 and then being reinforced by the Obama Administration, almost all homefinding units within Family Services have a team of people dedicated to finding someone known to the child(ren) coming into care.  This is important for a variety of reasons. 

• Lesser trauma being experienced by the child as the new home/family is familiar to him/her

• Allowed interaction with extended family and/or birth parents as kinship families can supervise visitation

• Stronger initial connection to the child and the case itself

• More support for the kinship family through programs such as, "Caring for our own"

Foster Care-Straight foster care is needed when there is not an appropriate RP available.  Foster parents must pass background, health and home checks.  Once approved and training classes are over, they will start receiving calls to have children placed in the home.  A RP can still be acquired, and will be actively sought out during the child's placement. 

Guardianship/Custody-While kinship and foster care are handled through Family Services, guardianship and custody are handled by the courts. The petitioner is granted authority over the child as the temporary or permanent parent.

Home.....More Than Just a House

     It's a loaded question.  I know more than most. Those first few days....they are rough.  It's a feeling out of new territory.  What is expected of me?  What am I allowed to do or not do?  Do you really even want me here? You don't even understand how I'm feeling. 
     This new bedroom....by the way, I've never slept alone or in the dark.  New food....I'm going to starve here.  The changes are so rapid and little bodies and big minds have a hard time taking it all in. That dog....he scares me.  Is he going to bite me?  I just want my mom.  I want my dysfunction back.  It was comfortable.  
     Being in care as a teen, I get those first few days.  I can look back like it was yesterday and smell the scent of eucalyptus, the feel of luxury of a bed that felt like heaven, but I knew that things were different.  They were way different and I didn't ask for the change. 
     But God....He had plans that I couldn't imagine.  He was going to use my trauma to heal me.  He would use it to bestow compassion  for birth parents and to understand so deeply what my foster and adopted kids would feel.  He was setting the stage for a testimony that I could sing for days.  He led me through brokenness that I never thought I would heal from.  This is my foster care journey.  It has followed me my entire life. From being in care, having my daughter in care, and having over 20 foster kids of my own, I get it.  My goal is to inspire every church in America to get it too. 
         Church....let's show up.  Let's let these children, these families, hear us praying for them.  Let's deliver hope in the midst of a mess and "visit" them in their hour of need.  James 1:27 lifesong. I cannot think of a child who needs the church to show up more than one who has just been removed from their family. We can do this....one pizza, one meal, at a time.  We can bring hope to people in our communities who just need us to show up.  That's Foster Blessings folks.....Welcome.