Fostering |
Pre-Service |
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Foster care is the temporary care provided to children in the custody of Protective Services. This care can last from overnight to over one year. Children need foster care when they are abused, neglected or their parents are not able to safely care for them. If no kin is identified, available or appropriate, children are placed with foster parents on a temporary basis. Foster parents provide safety, stability, and a nurturing and loving family environment for vulnerable and hurting children. It is important to keep children in their own communities and schools whenever possible. Foster parents are asked to work with the child’s birth family to promote and encourage successful reunification. Foster parents are ordinary people making an extraordinary difference in the lives of children and their families. Foster parents care for children of every age, race, color or national origin, while meeting their basic day to day needs. A successful foster parent works closely with child welfare professionals and others to support and assist the child and birth family as the agency seeks reunification or another permanency plan. Foster parents learn trauma informed parenting techniques to meet the needs of each child for healing, while building resiliency and helping youth develop healthy self-esteem. Foster parents share their hearts, homes and their family experience.
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Classes are held at Fairfield County JFS, 239 W. Main St. Lancaster, Ohio 43130. The class schedule includes weekday evenings and Saturdays for both sessions.
Please RSVP by calling Ashleigh Duffy-Pratt at 740-652-7734 or by e-mail at [email protected]. You must attend an Information Night prior to beginning Pre Service. RSVP is also required for Information Night. |
What to Expect
Why are foster parents needed?
Every day, children come to the attention of Protective Services because of concerns for abuse, neglect or dependency. Very often, the impact of parent/caregiver addiction has led to an unsafe environment for children. Other family problems including mental illness, lack of family supports, or violence between adults in the home, can lead to a child needing out of home care. These children range in age from birth to over eighteen years, are primarily Caucasian, and are often part of a sibling group. Parenting teens also need a foster family who will provide mentoring support to the minor parent and their child. Most children experience some level of behavioral, emotional, or learning challenges. Nearly all have experienced trauma impacting their daily functioning. All of these children need someone to provide a family setting offering physical and emotional safety and unconditional love and acceptance.
Some children stay in foster care for a while until they return to their parents, relatives, or kin. Others will move toward adoption. Regardless of why children enter foster care or how long they remain, they need to know they are special and have their hopes and dreams nurtured to grow into the very best they can be. Fairfield County is especially in need of foster and foster-to-adopt families for teens, parenting teens, siblings, and children with physical, developmental or emotional challenges.
Every day, children come to the attention of Protective Services because of concerns for abuse, neglect or dependency. Very often, the impact of parent/caregiver addiction has led to an unsafe environment for children. Other family problems including mental illness, lack of family supports, or violence between adults in the home, can lead to a child needing out of home care. These children range in age from birth to over eighteen years, are primarily Caucasian, and are often part of a sibling group. Parenting teens also need a foster family who will provide mentoring support to the minor parent and their child. Most children experience some level of behavioral, emotional, or learning challenges. Nearly all have experienced trauma impacting their daily functioning. All of these children need someone to provide a family setting offering physical and emotional safety and unconditional love and acceptance.
Some children stay in foster care for a while until they return to their parents, relatives, or kin. Others will move toward adoption. Regardless of why children enter foster care or how long they remain, they need to know they are special and have their hopes and dreams nurtured to grow into the very best they can be. Fairfield County is especially in need of foster and foster-to-adopt families for teens, parenting teens, siblings, and children with physical, developmental or emotional challenges.
The Process
To begin, contact Fairfield County Protective Services and ask to speak with someone on the foster care and adoption team to request an information packet be sent to you. Briefly, the process involves attending Information Night and then the 36 hour Pre Service Training classes. Next, you will complete an application, and finally, the home assessment.
Guidelines to becoming a foster or foster-to-adopt parent
Fairfield County Protective Services recognizes the decision to become a foster and adoptive parent as a serious commitment. Our agency will make every possible effort to assure all applicants are caring, competent, and confident, as they prepare for the role of caring for children who have experienced the trauma of abuse and neglect. Together, we will work through a multi-step process leading to you becoming a licensed foster parent or a foster-to-adopt parent. There are guidelines that must be met in order to meet licensing and approval. Individuals wanting to foster or adopt must:
To begin, contact Fairfield County Protective Services and ask to speak with someone on the foster care and adoption team to request an information packet be sent to you. Briefly, the process involves attending Information Night and then the 36 hour Pre Service Training classes. Next, you will complete an application, and finally, the home assessment.
Guidelines to becoming a foster or foster-to-adopt parent
Fairfield County Protective Services recognizes the decision to become a foster and adoptive parent as a serious commitment. Our agency will make every possible effort to assure all applicants are caring, competent, and confident, as they prepare for the role of caring for children who have experienced the trauma of abuse and neglect. Together, we will work through a multi-step process leading to you becoming a licensed foster parent or a foster-to-adopt parent. There are guidelines that must be met in order to meet licensing and approval. Individuals wanting to foster or adopt must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Have sufficient income to meet your basic needs
- Be in good physical condition and capable of caring for a child as verified by the completion of medical statements for all household members
- Receive criminal record checks for all applicants and anyone living in the home who is over eighteen years of age.Record checks include local law enforcement, FBI and BCII.History with child welfare agencies will also be reviewed and documentation gathered.
Individuals wanting to be foster or adoptive parents must also:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Have sufficient income to meet your basic needs
- Be in good physical condition and capable of caring for a child as verified by the completion of medical statements for all household members
- Receive criminal record checks for all applicants and anyone living in the home who is over eighteen years of age.Record checks include local law enforcement, FBI and BCII.History with child welfare agencies will also be reviewed and documentation gathered.
- Attend an Information Night regarding foster care and adoption through Fairfield County Protective Services
- Attend 36 hours of pre-service classes that help prepare caring adults to work with children within the context of the child welfare system
- Provide five positive personal references
- Successfully complete a safety audit of the home and surroundings
- Successfully complete a well test, if applicable.
- Successfully complete a fire inspection
Non-Discrimination Requirements for Foster Care & Adoptive Placements
The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. 622(b)(9), 671(a)(18), 674(d) and 1996(b) (MEPA) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 200d, et seq as it applies to the foster care and adoption process (Title VI), are designed to decrease the time children wait for foster care and adoption placement, prevent discrimination in the placement of children, and aid in the identification and recruitment of foster and adoptive families who can meet each child's needs. They prohibit any agency using federal funds from denying any person the opportunity to become an adoptive parent or foster caregiver on the basis of race, color or national origin (RCNO) of that person, or of the child involved and from delaying or denying the placement of a child for adoption or foster care on the basis of race, color or national origin of the adoptive parent or parents, of the foster caregiver or caregivers, or the child involved.
The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. 622(b)(9), 671(a)(18), 674(d) and 1996(b) (MEPA) and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. 200d, et seq as it applies to the foster care and adoption process (Title VI), are designed to decrease the time children wait for foster care and adoption placement, prevent discrimination in the placement of children, and aid in the identification and recruitment of foster and adoptive families who can meet each child's needs. They prohibit any agency using federal funds from denying any person the opportunity to become an adoptive parent or foster caregiver on the basis of race, color or national origin (RCNO) of that person, or of the child involved and from delaying or denying the placement of a child for adoption or foster care on the basis of race, color or national origin of the adoptive parent or parents, of the foster caregiver or caregivers, or the child involved.
Fairfield County Job & Family Services
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239 West Main Street
Lancaster, OH 43130 Hours:
M-F 8AM - 4PM After hours appointments available Document drop box available by main entrance |
PHONE: (740) 652 - 7889
TOLL FREE: (800) 450 - 8845 FAX: (740) 689 - 4848 |