How to Become a Foster Parent in Florida

Quotes about foster care

How to Become a Foster Parent in Florida

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 Florida can often seem unclear. FosterUSKids.org is your source for information and guidance, connecting you with a local Florida 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 Florida:

1. Request Information About Fostering – 
   FosterUSKids puts the Florida 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 Florida, 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 Florida child-placing agency now.

Requirements to Foster in Florida

Many adults are eligible to become foster parents in their state but do not always realize it. Each state in the U.S. has regulations and requirements for licensing foster parents. Florida does not require parents to own a large home or quit their jobs and become stay-at-home parents. Florida foster parents must:

• Be 21 years of age or older
• Prove good health and ability to care for a child
• Maintain a stable income
• Pass a background screening
• Finish 30 hours of foster parent training
• Complete a Home Study

The required training course is free to aspiring foster parents. It helps parents learn how to foster children and become licensed to provide foster care in Florida.

Foster FAQs for Florida

You may have questions if you are new to foster care in Florida. Here are FAQs from Florida's aspiring foster families.

Do I Have Input on the Children Assigned to Me?

Yes. Foster parents have a say in the age, gender, and number of children they want to care for.

Florida teens have the greatest need among all age groups in foster care. It is worth learning more about fostering teenagers and how rewarding it can be. Florida also needs foster parents who have space in their hearts and homes for sibling groups. If you are considering fostering teens or siblings, tell your foster care agency and they will guide you on this path.

Can LGBTQ+ Couples or Single Individuals Foster?

Yes! Florida welcomes foster parents and does not discriminate based on sexual orientation or marital status. Single adults and same-sex couples who meet state requirements can become licensed foster families in Florida.

Do I Need Parenting Experience?

No. Parenting experience is not a requirement, though it is helpful. Foster orientation and training will teach you how to care for foster youth and where you can turn for support.

The most essential thing Florida foster kids need is responsible, dependable adults to provide a home and care for them.

Will I Get Childcare Assistance?

Foster parents may qualify for childcare assistance if they work outside the home or are completing an educational course. Talk to your foster coordinator or caseworker to learn more about this option.

Foster agencies in Florida

Select My Foster Agency in Florida

General Foster FAQs

General Statistics About Foster Care

• 23,507

  Kids in Florida's foster care system

• 5,649

  Florida foster kids awaiting adoption

• 6 Years

  Median age of a child in Flordia's foster care system

• 9%

  The percentage of Florida foster children who have been in the system 3-4 years

Florida desperately needs foster parents willing to provide safe and stable homes. Sadly, many children in care do not have a parent to provide for them. Kids without foster families feel abandoned, depressed, or anxious, negatively impacting their health and well-being.

The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) breaks down foster care statistics by state. The latest 2021 report in Florida says there are:

• 23,507 kids in Florida's foster care system
• 13,212 who entered foster care
• 5,649 foster kids awaiting adoption
• 39% of foster child case plan goals that include adoption
• 49% of foster child case plan goals include returning the child to their birth parents or primary caregiver
• 44% of kids are placed in foster homes with non-relative families
• Florida foster kids spanning all ages, with a median age of 6 years old

A child's median time in the Florida foster care system is just over a year at 12.5 months. 22% spend 6-11 months in care, and 9% are there for 3-4 years.

Kids of all ages, races, backgrounds, and needs find themselves in Florida's foster care system. Florida has specific foster needs that can be challenging to fill.

With a diverse child population, the state needs bilingual parents. Parents who can keep siblings together are in high demand, as many foster children have siblings entering care together.

With the high number of teenagers in high school, Florida is always searching for parents willing to take teens. Fostering teens is not always what new foster parents envision, but some report these relationships are their most rewarding.

Support Services for Foster Parents in Florida

The Florida Department of Health and county health and human services departments connect resources across the state. They also collaborate with national entities like the Child Welfare Information Gateway and Children's Bureau.

For foster parents, the Florida Department of Children and Families is the primary source of information and support. It helps people who want to become foster or adoptive parents and offers support to those already in foster parenting roles. They work hard to meet the needs of every foster child and family in Florida.

Interested adults can also foster children through a licensed child-placing agency in Florida. Licensed child welfare agencies assist with connecting parents with foster youth and making the best possible matches. They place children in foster or adoptive homes or in group homes. Florida foster agency social workers have the training, expertise, and connections to answer questions or help foster families navigate parenting challenges.

You can find plenty of excellent educational materials online as well. As a foster parent in Florida, you have many resources to continue your parenting education and meet all state training requirements. The more you learn, the easier it becomes to provide a loving and stable home for a child in need.

Social workers emphasize the importance of building a family support network. Foster parents get their first chance at orientation, where local families gather to learn what it takes to foster in Florida. Support from other foster families is also an excellent way to overcome obstacles and make the most of your parenting journey.

Now is the Time to Become a Foster Parent in Florida

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

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 a Florida child today.