Becoming a foster/adoptive family doesn’t happen overnight. There are steps you need to take to make sure that you and your family are ready for this commitment. Utah Foster Care Foundation is here to help you through many steps of this process and will be there to help support you once you become a licensed foster family.
• Fill out our online contact form and a Utah Foster Care Foundation staff member in your area will contact you to answer your questions about becoming a foster/adoptive family.
• Schedule an initial consultation: The initial consultation is the first step you will take in the process to become a licensed foster/adoptive parent. Appointments for an initial consultation can be made when our staff member contacts you. During the initial consultation he or she will meet with you in your home, answer any questions you have, talk to you about what is expected of foster/adoptive families, and help you decide whether becoming a foster/adoptive family is right for you.
• Begin your home study paper work: A home study is a detailed written report about your family. Among other things, they include background checks, a medical report, and reference letters. Home studies provide DCFS with a look at what life is like in your home and helps workers match children with families. Our staff member will bring the initial paperwork for your home study to your initial consultation. However, the State Office of Licensing is responsible for your home study. While our staff can answer general questions and discuss this with you, we are unable to answer some questions specific to your situation.
• Attend training at Utah Foster Care Foundation: All foster/adoptive families are required to attend 32 hours of pre-service training with the Utah Foster Care Foundation before they can be licensed. If you are married, both you and your spouse will ultimately be required to finish the classes. However, you can be licensed after one parent has completed the classes and the second parent has attended at least 3 classes. The second parent with then have one year to complete any remaining classes. Our staff member will provide you with more information about upcoming classes during your initial consultation.
• Complete your home study: You cannot become a licensed foster parent without completing the home study. To become licensed, you will need to: fill out all of the paperwork, be fingerprinted and have background checks done, have your references fill out and return the forms sent to them, and have your doctor fill out and return a medical form. You can work on these things and turn in your paperwork as you attend training classes. As a final step, your licensor will schedule an appointment to come out to your home to review these things with you. Your licensor will also need to inspect your home before you are finally licensed. If you are married, the paperwork from both parents is required before you can become licensed.
• Get ready for your first placement. Once you are licensed, the Office of Licensing will send your homestudy to the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), the state agency responsible for placing children with foster families. If you don’t receive a placement right away, don’t worry. If several months go by, you should contact your Resource Family Consultant (RFC) at DCFS. You may also want to re-evaluate the ages and characteristics of children you have said you are willing to foster. For example, if you requested to only care for children younger than 5 years old, you may wait longer than families who are open to a more broad range of ages.
If you’re not quite ready to become a foster/adoptive family but still want to help Utah’s children in foster care, check out our “Want to Help?” section for ideas on how you can make a difference.
Toll-free: 877.505.KIDS
Local: 801.994.5205
moreinfo@utahfostercare.org