As a foster parent, you are responsible for the temporary care and nurturing of a child who has been placed outside his or her own home.  During a time of disruption and change, you are giving a child a home.  At the same time, your role includes working with the caseworker and the child's family so that the child can return home safely, when appropriate.

1. The Role of a Foster Parent

2. The Rights of Foster Parents

3. Responsibilities of Foster Parents

4. Why are Children Placed in Foster Care?

5. How do I become a Foster Parent?

• To provide temporary care for children, giving them a safe, stable, nurturing environment.

• To cooperate with the caseworker and the child's parents in carrying out a permanency plan, including participating in that plan.

• To understand the need for, and goals of, family visits and help out with the visits.

• To help the child cope with the separation from his or her home.

• To provide guidance, discipline, a good example, and as many positive experiences as possible.

• To encourage and supervise school attendance, participate in teacher conferences, and keep the child's caseworker informed about any special educational needs.

• To work with the agency in arranging for the child's regular and/or special medical and dental care.

• To work with the child on creating a Life Book.

• To inform the caseworker promptly about any problems or concerns so that the needs can be met through available services.

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• To accept or reject a child for placement in a foster home.
• To define and limit the number of children that can be placed in the foster home, within legal capacity.
• To receive information on each child who is to be placed in the foster home.
• To expect regular visits from the child's caseworker to exchange information, plan together, and discus any concerns about the child.
• To participate in regular conferences in the foster home to discuss the child's plan every 90 days or less as required (whenever necessary in times of crisis or emergency).
• To receive notice of, and participate in, Service Plan Reviews and Family Court permanency hearings on a child placed in their home.
• To receive training on meeting the needs of children in care.
• To have their personal privacy respected.
• To receive notice of permanency hearings to determine the appropriateness of the agency's permanency plan, and have the opportunity to be heard at the hearing.
• To participate, as an interested party, in any court proceeding involving the custody of that child.

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• To facilitate visits between child and family.
• To attend family group conferences.
• To share information about child with birth parent.
• To actively support reunification in the early phases of the case.
• Court appearances
• To cooperate with caseworker, re: visit to home.
• To participate in Service Plan Reviews.
• Criminal background check and other required documentation.
• To complete MAPP training & Modified ABC Training (33 hours).
• On-going (annual) training requirements for both recruited and kinship homes. 
• To inform caseworker promptly about any problems that arise.
• To notify the agency immediately in the event of illness, accidents, or deaths experienced by the foster child.
• Inform Home Finding DIRECTLY about any changes to household.

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Children are placed in foster care either by order of a court (involuntary) or because their parents are willing to have them cared for temporarily outside the home (voluntary).

An involuntary placement occurs when a child has been abused or neglected (or may be at risk of abuse or neglect) by his or her parent or someone else in the household, or because a court has determined that the child is a person in need of supervision (PINS) or a juvenile delinquent (JD).  The court orders the child removed from the home and determines the length of the placement.

A voluntary placement occurs when parents decide that they are temporarily unable to care for their child for reasons other than abuse or neglect.  For example, the family is experiencing a serious medical, emotional, and/or financial problem.  The parents sign a voluntary placement agreement that lists the responsibilities of the parents  and the agency during the child's placement.  (In voluntary surrender, the parents voluntarily give up all parental rights forever and transfer "custody and guardianship" to an authorized agency.)

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Our Home Finding Department seeks to minimize disruption in the lives of children and families, maintain family ties and increase the likelihood of family reunification.  Studies have shown that children in foster care are less traumatized by placement when their foster home is located in their own community so that neighborhood, church, school and even family ties can be maintained.  You can make a difference in the life of a child. 

For more information on how you can help, call us at (888) 701-MOMS (888-701-6667) or  Maxine Blackmon at (914) 375-8987.

The Home Finding Department  overseas the total certification of potential resource homes and the facility management of the kinship homes, utilizing the existing State and City regulations governing their certifications.  It works in partnership with Central Intake, and the Foster Boarding Homes Programs in developing and maintaining these homes.

We work hard to recruit qualified foster parents.  We canvas the community, looking for caring families willing to open their homes to children in need.  Once we find them, the process has only just begun.  These potential foster families undergo comprehensive training.  They must also receive child abuse clearances from both New York City and New York State.  All of this can take about two months.  Meanwhile, children are waiting for homes.

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