How to Become a Foster Parent in Connecticut

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How to Become a Foster Parent in Connecticut

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 Connecticut can often seem unclear. FosterUSKids.org is your source for information and guidance, connecting you with a local Connecticut agency to simplify the process of 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 Connecticut:

1. Request Information About Fostering – 
   FosterUSKids puts the Connecticut foster care and adoption agencies at your fingertips.
2. 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.
    
3. 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.
    
4. Attend Pre-Service Training –
   Around 30 hours of formal parent training cover essential topics from what to expect to trauma-informed foster care.
    
5. 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.
    
6. 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 Connecticut, 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 a Connecticut child-placing agency now.

Requirements to Foster in Connecticut

You must meet minimum requirements to provide foster care for children in Connecticut. Before you start, educate yourself and reach out to a foster care agency. Social workers recommend that you and other family members in your home feel ready before starting your foster journey. Caring for a foster child takes time, patience, and persistence.

Contact your local licensed child-placing agency or attend an orientation meeting to learn more about what fostering entails. They will inform you about foster parent requirements, common obstacles you might face, and unique challenges among foster children. All foster kids have experienced trauma. Training teaches foster parents how best to help foster children manage their feelings and feel secure.

You must meet minimum state requirements to qualify as a foster care provider in Connecticut. Foster parents must: 

• Be 21 years of age or older
• Offer a safe living environment
• Pass a police and FBI background check
• Maintain sufficient income to care for a family
• Complete the 10-week training program
• Provide a separate bed for the foster child
• Complete the Home Study process
• Have a clean driving record (pass a DMV check)

Kids of the same gender in a similar age range may share a bedroom.

Contact the Connecticut Department of Children and Families or a local child-placing agency for additional questions about foster parent requirements.

Foster FAQs for Connecticut

There are myths about becoming a parent for foster kids in need. These FAQs will shed light on foster parenting requirements in Connecticut.

How Can I Become a Foster Parent?

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) licenses and approves foster parents according to state regulations. Foster care orientation explains the agency's ideas on foster care, how they help children, and requirements for potential parents.

Who Can Adopt a Child in Connecticut?

Any adult at least 21 years or older who meets state-mandated criteria can foster or adopt. Connecticut does not discriminate based on race, age, gender identity, sexuality, or marital status.

Parents can rent or own a home as long as they provide enough space for the child.

Aspiring foster parents must pass all background checks and finish the Home Study to become licensed to foster children in Connecticut.

Is There a Minimum Income to Adopt a Child?

No. There is no minimum income requirement. However, foster parents must make enough money to support the family financially. Adults who want to foster must prove they have a stable income.

Foster families receive monthly financial support to care for foster kids. However, they must show financial stability before receiving a foster license.

Foster agencies in Connecticut

Select My Foster Agency in Connecticut

General Foster FAQs

General Statistics About Foster Care

• 3,488

  Kids in Connecticut's foster care system

• 1,137

  Connecticut foster kids awaiting adoption

• 17%

  Percentage of Connecticut foster children who have been in the system 3-4 years

• 32%

  Percentage of case plan goals that include adoptions.

The number of children entering foster care in the United States outnumbers the foster homes available to take them in. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) outline each state's foster care statistics by state. The most recent from 2021 fiscal year in Connecticut reports that there are:

• 3,488 kids in Connecticut's foster care system
• 1,137 foster kids awaiting adoption
• 392 foster cases in which all parental rights were terminated
• 32% of case plan goals that include adoptions

Connecticut's foster care system has kids spanning all age groups, with the median age being nine years old. Foster kids spend a median time of 23.9 months in the foster system. 17% spend 3-4 years waiting for a foster or adoptive family.

Only 32% of foster care case plans currently have reunification goals to rejoin foster kids with their biological parents. The state completed 460 adoptions during the reporting period.

Support Services for Foster Parents in Connecticut

The Connecticut Department of Children and Families (CDCF) is a public agency with offices across the state. Private agencies in Connecticut's child welfare system are committed to finding the right programs for children in foster care. They provide services and support short- and long-term home care options.

Foster children sometimes live with foster families or in other reliable home environments, such as group homes. Social workers actively seek resources for kids with special support needs, including those who have experienced child abuse or neglect.

These resources will be your primary source for support and foster training. They are vital for all foster parents, particularly those caring for foster kids with special medical, behavioral, and emotional needs.

Many child-placing agencies also discuss the importance of education and advocate for ongoing parent training. Parent training courses and informative blog articles are excellent learning resources for parents who care for Connecticut's foster youth.

Connecticut has many support groups for potential and current foster parents, as well. Parenting is never easy, and foster parents face unique challenges. These support groups connect foster families to ensure they have access to a foster community.

Now is the Time to Become a Foster Parent in CONNECTICUT

Every day in Connecticut, children from all age groups enter foster care, some with no belongings of their own, all without an adult they can depend on. Every Connecticut 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 Connecticut.

Still undecided? A Connecticut 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 a Connecticut child today.