How to Become a Foster Parent in Kansas
The United States has a need that many people are not discussing, or even realize exists. We need responsible, loving, and patient caregivers to support the large numbers of children and youth in foster care.
Child welfare agencies sound the alarm that we have more foster kids than licensed parents to provide residential care. Many foster kids and family members in Kansas need help from adults who are willing to open their homes to foster kids in need. If you are considering this path, rest assured that you can make a difference by becoming a foster parent in Kansas.
Not sure where to start? This guide covers what you need to get a foster parent license and FAQs that answer how to begin the process.
Quotes about foster care
How to Become a Foster Parent in Kansas
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 Kansas can often seem unclear. FosterUSKids.org is your source for information and guidance, connecting you with a local Kansas 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 Kansas:
- Request Information About Fostering –
FosterUSKids puts the Kansas 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 Kansas, 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 Kansas child-placing agency now.
Requirements to Foster in Kansas
Start by researching the state requirements for new parents. In Kansas, all foster parents must:
- Be 21 years or older
- Maintain financial stability
- Live in a safe and comfortable home
- Pass the home inspection
- Provide enough personal space for a foster child
- Clear a background check (all adults in the house)
- Have a valid driver's license and an insured vehicle
- Finish required foster parent training
- Complete the Home Study Process
Good foster parenting requires your best effort, but not "perfect" parenting. Spend time to learn about the foster care system and the information given to you during training and orientation. Once you have become a licensed foster parent, focus on your foster child's wants, needs, and overall well-being.
To learn more about becoming a foster parent in Kansas, contact your local child-placing agency. These social service agencies are state-approved to match foster children with licensed foster care homes.
Every foster agency provides orientation, where you will receive information about foster care and how to obtain a license. Orientation will help you decide if fostering a child is the right path for you and your family. If you are married or in a relationship, ask yourselves questions before committing to fostering together.
After orientation, your next step is the family assessment process, including the Home Study. A social worker at your local child-placing agency will help you through every step.
Foster FAQs for Kansas
Even without any prior knowledge of the foster care system, it is easy to learn your way around. To become an excellent foster parent, start by asking the right questions:
What is the Goal of Foster Care?
Children who can no longer stay in their homes for safety reasons must enter the foster care system. Foster care is a temporary solution to place these children and teens in licensed foster homes. They may remain there for a few days or a number of months. It depends on how long their birth parents or primary caregivers take to resolve the safety issue.
The primary goal of foster care is to reunite kids with their biological families. Relatives, foster, or adoptive families can adopt foster kids who are unable ever to return home.
What is the Greatest Need in Foster Care?
Foster youth can range from 0-21 years old in Kansas. The greatest need is for parents willing to foster teenagers or sibling groups. Finding homes for older kids and high schoolers is challenging because of the shortage of foster families. Additionally, most foster families prefer to take in younger children.
How Long Does it Take to Get Licensed?
Most adults receive their foster parent license within six months. Timing depends on how quickly and smoothly you complete paperwork, training, and a home inspection. You must also provide proof of your residency, income, and health status. Every adult living in the foster home must pass a criminal background check.
What are the Benefits of Fostering?
Fostering and adoption are rewarding, challenging, and enriching experiences. Foster parents act as teachers, advocates, and caregivers.
Foster parents help children during challenging periods in their lives. They provide a temporary, safe, and loving environment and encourage the child's growth. Even when foster care is for a short time, it makes a lasting impact on a child.
Foster agencies in Kansas
General Foster FAQs
General Statistics About Foster Care
7,085
Kids in the Kansas foster care system
17
Median months a child will spend in the Kansas foster care system
9
Median age of a child in Kansas' foster care system
3,172
Kids entering foster care in Kansas
Kansas has more children entering foster care each year than there are families to provide home care. However, many people are unaware of this situation.
To help illustrate the point, here are some of the latest Kansas foster care statistics. The latest 2021 report from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report in Kansas says there are:
- 7,085 kids in Kansas' foster care system
- 3,172 children who entered foster care
- 2,464 foster children awaiting adoption
- 1,638 who had all parental rights terminated
- 44% living in the home of a non-relative
So, what does it take to care for a foster child or teen? The ultimate goal is to reunite them with their birth parents or family, as that is usually in the child's best interest. 59% of foster care case plans currently have reunification goals to rejoin foster kids with their biological parents. 34% of case plans have adoption goals.
Kansas has foster care children spanning all age groups, with the median age being nine years old. 14% of foster kids are high-schoolers aged 16-17 years. The median time in care is just under a year and a half, at 17.2 months.
As a foster parent, your goal is to encourage ongoing development and create a safe and healthy living space. Foster parents must ensure kids get an adequate, balanced diet and safeguard their physical and mental health. Foster parents must also communicate with their foster child's biological family and keep up their family visits.
Many kids in care need time to feel comfortable with their foster parents. Social workers recommend patience over forced interactions. One way to help while fostering children is to provide them with privacy and space.
Support Services for Foster Parents in Kansas
Many foster care services in Kansas exist to help children and their foster families, also known as "resource families." The state's Department for Children and Families (KDCF) has many of the resources you'll need online. These include Foster Youth and Foster Parent Bill of Rights and customer service for personal support requests.
Handbooks, brochures, and other educational materials are on the KDCF website, as well. You can learn more about case planning, and the other members of your fostering team.
As a foster parent, you become part of a professional team working together on behalf of a foster child. One key member is the foster child's birth parent or primary caregiver. The team may also include a DCF child protection services specialist, Guardian Ad Litem, and court-appointed Special Advocates. You will never have to work alone or wonder where to go for answers or support.
Private foster care agencies partner with the state and also assist with foster parent recruitment, training, and child placement. Both public and private agencies provide support around common fostering needs. Health care and mental health resources for victims of child abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse are widely available.
Families receive financial support to help offset monthly costs of room & board and assist with care-related expenses. Some non-profit groups strive to support families with everything from food assistance to raising awareness.
NOW IS THE TIME TO BECOME A FOSTER PARENT IN Kansas
Every day in Kansas, children from all age groups enter foster care, some with no belongings of their own, all without an adult they can depend on. Every Kansas 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 Kansas.
Still undecided? A Kansas 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 Kansas child today.
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