Foster Care Exposed: The uprising of all the single ladies

You know how people have all the excuses for why they can't do foster care?

"I work full time!"
"I would get too attached."
"It takes a special person to do foster care"
"I just don't have enough time."
"There isn't enough room in my house."


Well let me tell you something folks....there has been an uprising of single mamas taking on foster care....and they blow all of those excuses straight out of the water.

This post is plain and simple. We need to give praise to God for calling these women to glorify Him in this way....and we need to give props to them for simply saying YES.


Chasity: Accountant
Lana: Teacher
Erin: Physical Therapist
Stephanie: Speech/Language Pathologist
Allison: Teacher
Erin: Teacher
Karen: Executive Assistant
Ruby: Teacher
Connie: Teacher
Lori: School Counselor
Jenny: Teacher
Millie: Photographer
Mandie: Graphic designer/photographer
Jenna: Special Ed Teacher
Mary: School Counselor
Me: Financial Assistant/SAHM #onlycuzihaveanexhusbandwhopaysme
Amy: Teacher
Marissa: Teacher
Selena: Accountant/Controller

soon to be added to this list:

Chalice: Nanny
Amy: Nurse

I listed their occupations, simply to show that they are just normal hard working people just like everyone else.


Please keep these ladies in your prayers. They are taking on the hard work of foster care daily....and it isn't easy....but it is good.

It is the gospel lived out.

It is literally changing lives.

And it is worth it.

Blessings,

jennymo

Foster Care Exposed: Where do I start!?!

 

"I have always wanted to do foster care, but I just don't even know how to get started"

I hear this one a lot, so this is my best attempt to answer some of the very basic questions about where to start if you want to become a foster parent!

{PRAY} Foster care is not for everyone. Seek God first. Pretty please don't do it because your friends did and the kid they got was super cute.

 

{ASK QUESTIONS} Chances are you know someone who is or has been involved in foster care. Find a time to talk to them and ask them your questions! Granted, you may have to call them on the phone or follow them around at church as they collect all their kids, but we are passionate about what we do and want to help others get involved!

 

Here are some examples:

 

Who can / can't be a foster parent?

Here is a link to the requirements to foster through DHR. I know there are additional requirements with the various private agencies, but I am not aware of an actual list of those requirements. 

 

I (we) work full time. Can we foster?

Yes! The State will pay for daycare for your child(ren), but only at certain daycares. Your social worker can help you or you can call the ones in your area and ask if they accept payment from "Child Care Central".

 

What about medical costs?

Covered either by the bio parents insurance (rare) or Medicaid. Costs you nothing out of pocket.

Can I specify the ages of kids I am willing to take?

Yes. Some private agencies will not allow you to take a child who is older than the oldest child in your home. DHR is more flexible. But with either you can specify. 

What if I take a child who becomes a danger to my other children?

I think this is a VERY normal concern for those of us with kids already in the home. We have all heard the horror stories. If you need to have a child moved out of your home, just tell your social worker. You are under no obligation to keep a child who is putting your family in danger.

What if I get licensed but then something comes up with my family?

Another common concern. Simply let your social worker know that you cannot take any placements for a while. If you are with DHR they may still call you if they get in a major bind, but always put your family first and stand your ground. They will respect that.

What about school aged kids?

If a child comes in to your home who is already enrolled in school, I believe you have the option to keep them at their current school or move them to the school you are zoned to. This would of course depend on many things like the length of time they will likely be with you, location etc.

How much do foster parents get paid?

The State will give you what is called a "board payment" (i.e. "room and board"). For the kids I have had in my home, it is typically about $400 ish a month per child. (no one ever talks about this out loud I guess for fear that we will get accused of being in it for the money.....LOL....I personally like straight answers and facts so there ya go)

Will the biological parents know where I live?

No. You will have someone transport the child(ren) to and from visits (if they have regular visits with family). 

 

Can you adopt a child from foster care?

The goal is always reunification with family. However, sometimes that is not possible. In those cases you can adopt from foster care (more detail coming on this in a separate post).

 

{GPS} Once you have decided that the Lord is leading your family to become a foster family, you will need to take the GPS classes. There is usually an introduction week where you will get a broad view of foster care and learn if it is for you. GPS stands for "Group Preparation and Selection". I have never really understood this name, but that is neither here nor there. Here are some basics:

• Classes typically last 11 weeks (1 class introduction and then 10 classes one night a week for 3 hours totaling 30 hours training)
• They are offered through Lifeline, Alabama Baptist and DHR (you will have to call your county to get info on upcoming classes)
• They are often held at a church and usually offer childcare   
• The material for GPS is the same, no matter where you take the classes
• The main goal of the classes is to teach you how to see fostering from the eyes of a child coming in to foster care, NOT how to change diapers etc. You will learn a LOT. 
• You will complete the classes as well as get your CPR certification and fingerprints for background checks

IMPORTANT!!

• Once you complete GPS, your "certificate" never expires. So if go through GPS classes today, but don't want to actually start fostering for another year, that is perfectly fine.

• You can take GPS through ANY AGENCY and then decide who you want to get licensed with. For example. I took my GPS classes through Alabama Baptist because they had a class at a church that was very close to my house. Then I got licensed with Shelby County DHR.

 

{FINAL STRETCH} The amount of time this phase takes depends on you and your licensing agency. You will fill out lots of paperwork and have your home study and this process will look different depending on your agency. This is an example of some of the paperwork I had to do to get licensed with DHR.

-Application

-CA/N Clearance (Child Abuse and Neglect)

-Child Desired Form

-Confidentiality and Code of Ethics

-Criminal History Check Application

-Discipline Policy

-Financial Statement

-HIPPA agreement

-Physical Examination Sheet

-Immediate Relatives Sheet

-Compliance with Minimum Standards

-W-9

-CPR/First Aid Certification

-Rabies Certification (if you have animals)

-Home Visit

-Copy of Automobile Insurance

-Copy of Home owner’s insurance

{THE BEGINNING} Once you are finished with all of the training and paperwork, your journey really begins. Foster care is hard, but these kids are worth it. Each and every one is fearfully and wonderfully made by God, and being able to serve them is truly a privilege. 

 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in My Name welcomes Me....." Mark 9:37

I hesitate to even hit publish on this post because I know there are so many more questions that could be answered and information that could be given. If you have a question, feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer it. If you have additional information from your experience, please do the same!

Blessings,

jennymo 

Foster Care Exposed: Private Agency or DHR?

I am starting a little series on foster care.

I have blogged about it before, but not in much detail, and the more questions I get the more I realize the need for clear and concise answers about how the "system" works.

So let's start with this question:

"Should I get licensed through a private agency or through my county DHR?"

Let me tell you my experience. I went through the training classes (called "GPS") to become licensed as a foster parent through a private agency. These classes are focused (as they should be) on seeing foster care from the eyes of a child entering the system.

The material for GPS is the same whether you take the classes through your local DHR office or through a private agency. However, over the course of the 10 weeks of classes, we were told additional information based on the experience of the people leading the classes. Things like "we are here to protect you from DHR", "if you ever see DHR on your caller ID, don't answer it and call your social worker", bascially making DHR out to be the "bad guys".

They also put a lot of emphasis on the fact that if I put on my paperwork that I could only take 1 child under the age of 2 (for example) that they would NEVER call me for anything outside of that. So hypothetically if a child that was 2 1/2 came in to care, I would not get that call.

They also told us that we would receive a higher board payment (the $ you receive for each child for food, clothing, housing etc) with this private agency than we would through DHR.

What we weren't told are the practical differences between fostering through a private agency vs. directly through DHR. Things that I would have liked to have known. 

I ASSUMED, that when they said we would never get calls in the middle of the night, that meant that the private agency was fielding those calls for us. Not true. They don't take calls after 5pm or on weekends. That is just one example.

Now let me pause here and BE VERY CLEAR: We need the private agencies. They take a GREAT burden off the State simply by providing so many options for training, not to mention the many many kids who have found safe and loving Christian homes through the services they provide.

My purpose with this particular post is very simple:

1. People should know the differences in private vs. state when they decide to pursue foster care

2. I want more people to understand the great need for more families to choose to foster through the State. Why?

Right now in Shelby County we have 28 foster families.

I don't know how many families the private agencies have. But I do know, that of those 28 families, all but maybe 2 are FULL as of right now.

That means that when those middle of the night or weekend calls come, those kids have to be placed with families that are already at or over their max, and sometimes they have to spend the night at DHR. 

The next morning, the private agencies are contacted and if they accept the placement, the kids are moved to a private agency home. But, unlike DHR (who has to care for every child who comes in no matter what) the private agencies have the right to choose which placements they take based on anything from: size of sibling group/ any special needs involved/ how complicated the case is legally/ whether the placement will be long or short term/ what they deem to be best for their foster families etc.

Here are some of the facts:

Differences in Private vs. DHR for Foster FAMILIES:

Differences in Private vs. DHR for Foster KIDS:

So, if you are considering foster care or are currently in GPS classes, now you know the facts (at least the ones that I know). God will lead many of you to get your license through a private agency and that is awesome! But those of us who are in Shelby County are really praying that some of you will decide to get your license with the State : )

*side note: you can take classes with a private agency and get licensed by DHR and vice versa

I know that this post will likely tick some people off but please understand, I do not consider myself to be an expert in this arena so if I said something that isn't true, by all means let me know. But, when God lays something on my heart, I will advocate for it in any way I can.

And remember that underneath all the facts are the children who come in to foster care....and God has called us to care for them.

Blessings,

jennymo