12 Requirements to Care for Foster Children in Your Home

12 Requirements for Foster Home Care

Over 200,000 young people entered the foster care system in the latest AFCARS reporting year. Children and family support services work hard to identify prospective foster parents to nurture youth in foster care. Most prospective foster parents come into childcare through referrals. However, there are also efforts to attract more people through inspiring personal service advertisements and direct outreach.

If you're thinking about providing foster home care, you'll want to understand the requirements to meet health and safety standards. Federal and state laws are in place to guide short and long-term placements that are in the best interests of the child. 

Here are the top 12 requirements for housing foster kids as a licensed provider: 

1. Minimum Age to Become a Foster Parent

Many states require foster parents to be at least 18 to 21 years old. No maximum age requirement exists.

Being a foster parent is a significant responsibility that takes time, flexibility, and commitment. Every state has a minimum age requirement to ensure parents are prepared to care for a foster child or young adult.

2. Steady Income

A common myth is that foster parents must earn a specific minimum income. In reality, the only requirement for housing foster children is having a steady source of income.

Most states require foster parents to earn enough to support basic family needs, including housing, bills, food, and clothing.  

Foster children receive benefits through the child welfare system. These include Medicaid and respite care. Some states also offer a foster care stipend to offset the basic costs of raising a child.

3. Housing Size

You do not need to own your home or even live in a large house to care for a foster child. Foster parents can rent or own their home as long as their home meets all safety requirements to house a child. 

States also have specific space requirements based on the number of foster children living in the home. You must have enough space for sleeping, recreational activities, and to keep your child's personal belongings. State home capacity requirements change based on the number and ages of foster youth per housing space.

In addition, housing must have heat during the winter, be dry, and well-ventilated. Children must have easy access to an emergency exit. 

4. Bedroom Space

Each foster child in the home must have a separate bed and bedding. You cannot use passageways as a bedroom. 

A child-placing agency in your state will give you specific requirements about:

• Sharing a bedroom with an adult - In most states, only children under 1 year of age
• Sharing a room with other children - Based on age, gender, and space
• Maximum children allowed in the home - Combination of biological, foster, and adopted

5. Bathrooms

Before providing in-home foster care, indoor bathroom facilities must be in good working order. Bathrooms must include a toilet, sink, and tub or shower, typically for every eight people in the home. 

Foster parents must safely store hazardous materials out of reach of foster children. These include medications, cleaners, and other chemicals. 

Foster homes must also provide essential first-aid supplies in case of accident or injury. 

6. Firearms

Every day in the United States, too many children are either killed or need emergency care for gunshot injuries. Guns have recently overtaken car accidents as our country's number one cause of death for children.

While it helps prevent accidental injury if you talk to your kids about gun safety, preventing access is critical. Parents must protect the physical and mental health of their kids.

Foster care housing must keep guns, bullets, and weapons locked in a cabinet or closet. You must store keys or lock combinations in a separate location and keep them out of reach of all children. Foster parents and other adults in the home can only lawfully carry a gun.

7. Smoke Detectors

Foster care providers must ensure that at least one smoke detector is in good working order. Aspiring foster families can contact your local fire marshall for a list of fire safety requirements.

Your Home Study safety inspection will include smoke detectors.

8. Clean and Lived-In

Family houses feel lived-in, whether they have a messy toddler or a busy high school kid. Parents must keep foster housing clean, but it doesn't need to be spotless.

The yard or grounds around the house must be debris and litter-free and not be a safety hazard for a child. 

Your home must also pass a safety Home Study inspection and be kept in good repair with no molds, exposed wires, or leaks. 

9. Single, Partnered, or Married Parents

Excellent foster parents are single, partnered, married, and divorced. Domestic partners and LGTBQ+ people are also nurturing foster parents.

Single parenting can be a challenge. However, the main requirement to foster a child is having enough time, energy, and good health to care for them. Most states don't have specific requirements about medical conditions. People with permanent but controlled conditions, like high blood pressure or diabetes, can still become foster parents.

Some states prohibit smoking in proximity to your foster child. 

10. Employment and Parenting

Many people believe they must be a stay-at-home foster parent. You can work inside or outside your home. You can be a foster parent without a job if you have enough money to support your family. 

Many employed parents foster children. You must have enough time to nurture your child, spend time with them, and actively participate in their life.  

11. Parenting Experience

Most parents agree that caring for a child is a challenging but rewarding journey. It may be helpful to come into foster care with parenting experience, but every parent learns as they care for each child.

To become a foster parent, you must complete required parent training classes. Your foster or adoption agency will provide free training sessions during certification. You'll learn about the foster care system, child abuse and neglect, and what happens when foster kids age out and leave foster care.

12. The Home Study

Every state requires prospective foster or adoptive parents to complete a Home Study. This is the process's longest and most detailed part to ensure you are fit and ready to care for a child. A representative will visit your home to interview you and other family members. The Home Study also includes a home safety inspection.

Foster parents must have reliable transportation in addition to housing. Foster children must be able to get to school and attend appointments, events, and other commitments.

The Home Study is a key tool to help your agency match a foster or adoptive child with your family.

Housing Foster Care Children

To become a foster parent and provide housing and care for a child, you will need to meet these 12 requirements. There is no shortage of foster children, teenagers, and sibling groups who need stable homes and loving parents. With time and dedication, you may soon be preparing to meet your first foster child.

To learn more about how to become a foster parent in your state, contact a foster or adoption agency near you. A parent advocate will guide you.