Becoming a foster parent is both a rewarding and challenging task to take on. Many first-time foster parents may feel a little overwhelmed when just getting started which is why we here at Family Care for Children & Youth (FCCY) in Pennsylvania have provided a set of resources to help you get started on your journey. If you want to open your home and your heart to a child in need, contact FCCY today to start the application process.
Financial Resources
Here at FCCY, we provide many financial reimbursements and support for our foster families to ensure their children get all the care they need. This includes daily reimbursement rates; health, dental, and vision insurance; access to a foster parent support group and training; scholarships for foster children; and much more.
Training
We want to ensure that every foster parent is well-equipped to foster a child in need. This is why we partner with the University of Pittsburgh to offer all our required training to our foster parents. Another exceptional resource, if you are looking for additional training, is the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA). Their institute could provide even more information and training to help ensure you have all the necessary qualifications to be a foster parent.
Educational Support
Being an advocate for your foster child’s education is one of the most important jobs of being a foster parent. It can be overwhelming to ensure your foster child gets the academic support he or she needs and this sometimes requires educational liaisons. Liaisons are a point of contact between the foster parent and their child’s school. The Pennsylvania Foster Care Organization provides a directory for foster care education contacts for foster parents.
Emotional Support
Every parent deserves a robust support system and access to a foster parent support group to help guide each other through the challenges of fostering children. There are many groups out there, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) has an entire list of groups you can choose from to grow your network and find the support you deserve. We also recommend foster parents find counseling services so they can have a professional to help them work through the emotional toll that fostering children can take on a parent.
We at FCCY want to make becoming a foster parent as smooth as possible and equip our foster parents with all the tools they need to be successful parents of their children. You can find more information about our qualifications to be a foster parent by visiting our website, or you can contact us today to find out more about becoming a foster parent today.
