How to Become a Foster Parent in Alabama
A family recently adopted a little girl named Jasmine in Decatur, Alabama. She spent three years in foster care and lived in seven different homes. Finally, with the assistance of dedicated social workers, she was able to find her forever family. The entire second-grade class watched as they signed the adoption papers.
Opening your home to care for Alabama's children in foster care means you can help kids like Jasmine. Foster parenting is a rewarding experience. However, it can feel overwhelming if you don't know much about the child welfare system. We are here to help you understand foster parent requirements and how to find a local foster family agency.
Every Alabama kid needs someone to rely on. You can be that dependable adult for a child in need. If you are considering becoming a foster parent, let us connect you with an Alabama family services advocate. They can answer questions and guide you through the foster care process.
Quotes about foster care
How to Become a Foster Parent in Alabama
Close to 400,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system, and the numbers are on the rise. Yet, the path to becoming a foster parent in Alabama can often seem unclear. FosterUSKids.org is your source for information and guidance, connecting you with a local Alabama agency to simplify becoming a foster parent.
How to Foster: A Six-Step Glance
There are six steps to complete before you can bring a child into your home as a licensed foster parent in Alabama:
- Request Information About Fostering –
FosterUSKids puts the Alabama foster care and adoption agencies at your fingertips.
- Attend an Orientation Meeting for Foster Parenting –
Learn more about the foster parent journey: how to become a foster parent, the characteristics of kids in foster care, and state foster care rules and regulations.
- Submit a Foster Parent Application –
Your agency’s social workers will help you with the required documentation, background checks, personal references, and state-specific criteria.
- Attend Pre-Service Training –
Around 30 hours of formal parent training cover essential topics from what to expect to trauma-informed foster care.
- Complete an Assessment and Home Study –
This vital process includes a home visit and interviews with social workers to ensure you are a good fit and ready to be matched with a foster child.
- Receive Your Foster License –
The typical 3 to 6-month process results in getting your foster family license and then welcoming a foster child into your home!
Parenting is a rewarding journey marked by commitment and growth. For foster children in Alabama, the search is not for a perfect parent but someone they can count on for love, care, and a stable home – a foundation that will make a life-altering difference.
We at FosterUSKids are grateful you are on the path to learning more. For detailed guidance through every step, contact an Alabama child-placing agency now.
Requirements to Foster in Alabama
You must meet minimum requirements to provide foster care for children in Alabama. Foster parents for children in need must:
- Be 19 years of age or older
- Offer a safe and caring home environment
- Provide adequate space for the foster child
- Maintain financial stability
- Ensure all household members are in good health
- Meet necessary home requirements
- Pass a background check
- Finish the 30-hour training course
- Complete the Home Study process
Foster FAQs for Alabama
You may have questions if this is your first time considering becoming a foster parent. Here are FAQs from Alabama's aspiring foster families.
What is a Home Study?
The Department of Human Resources requires a Home Study. This Study ensures prospective foster parents are ready to provide a loving home or adopt a child.
Do you want to learn more about this process? Visit our guide.
Do I Have to Be Married?
Foster parents in Alabama can be single or married, no matter their sexual orientation. The Alabama Department of Human Resources provides these Foster Family Home Standards.
Do I Need a Driver's License and a car?
Foster parents in Alabama must hold a valid driver's license and maintain state-required motor vehicle insurance. Reliable transportation ensures foster children attend social, healthcare, and educational commitments.
Foster agencies in Alabama
General Foster FAQs
General Statistics About Foster Care
5,341
Kids in Alabama's foster care system
3,631
Kids entering foster care in Alabama
1,675
Alabama foster kids awaiting adoption
7 Years
Median age of a child in Alabama's foster care system
Many children in foster care in Alabama need long-term homes, whether in foster homes or group homes. We need more foster parents and adoptive families. We also need more advocates to raise awareness about foster care programs.
Davon and Tavon Woods are acting to raise awareness and push for positive change. These twins are telling the world that foster kids matter! They committed to walking 20 miles in every state to encourage more caring families to foster and adopt children.
The latest 2021 report from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report in Alabama says there are:
- 5,341 kids in Alabama's foster care system
- 3,631 kids who entered foster care
- 1,675 foster kids awaiting adoption
Alabama's foster care system has kids spanning all age groups, with the median age being seven years old. Only 40% of foster care case plans currently have reunification goals to rejoin foster kids with their biological parents.
Support Services for Foster Parents in Alabama
No need to be a perfect parent or have specific experience to foster a child in Alabama. Rather, Alabama foster children need adults who can give them time and energy.
To care for foster children in need in Alabama, contact a licensed child-placing agency (CPA) or another child welfare agency. Health and human services foster advocates will help you understand Alabama's licensing requirements and provide foster parent training.
Your foster child's social worker will be another vital resource. They focus on the well-being of children in foster care, ensuring they connect with the right foster and adoptive parent. This is particularly true for foster kids who experienced child abuse or neglect. Social workers assist families and provide ongoing support to foster children placed in homes.
For additional help, you can contact the Department of social services. Their mission is to improve the lives of children and families in the state. In Alabama, these are the Department of Human Services and the Department of Human Resources. These resources link to others in Alabama offering different services like respite care or foster homes for children in need.
Each child in foster care has a unique story. Some are part of a sibling group or have connections to birth parents, family members, or social workers. Foster care and adoption experts will help you understand each child's needs and what to expect in different situations.
Our foster care community welcomes prospective and new foster parents! Foster care agencies and their support services are here to assist you throughout your journey.
Now is the Time to Become a Foster Parent in Alabama
Every day in Alabama, children from all age groups enter foster care, some with no belongings of their own, all without an adult they can depend on. Every Alabama kid needs a soft place to land and a place to call home. Whether you can offer temporary care or become a forever family, your interest could mean a brighter, more secure future for a child in Alabama.
Still undecided? An Alabama child-placing agency is here to guide you, providing answers about stipends, coaching, therapy resources, and foster parent training.
Take the next step: Begin your parenting journey by fostering an Alabama child today.
Select My Foster AgencyFind a foster or adoption agency near you using our state directory for Alabama. If you represent an agency and would like to claim your listing, please contact us.
Agency | Locality | Agency Type |
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Helena |
Adoption
|
|
Montgomery |
Traditional Foster Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption
|
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Madison |
Traditional Foster Care, Specialized / Therapeutic Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption
|
|
Birmingham |
Traditional Foster Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care
|
|
Montgomery |
Traditional Foster Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption, Other
|
|
Birmingham |
Adoption, Other
|
|
Montgomery |
Traditional Foster Care, Specialized / Therapeutic Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption
|
|
Montgomery |
Traditional Foster Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption
|
|
Birmingham |
Adoption
|
|
Birmingham |
Traditional Foster Care, Specialized / Therapeutic Care, Emergency Foster Care, Respite Foster Care, Adoption
|