How to Become a Foster Parent in Louisiana

Quotes about foster care

How to Become a Foster Parent in Louisiana

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

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

Requirements to Foster in Louisiana

You're never alone when you foster as you work as part of a professional team. Louisiana’s Department of Children and Family Services partners with many organizations to help support foster children and the families that care for them.

The collaborative Foster Caregiver Mentor Program encourages peer relationships between foster families. It's an effective way for new resource parents to meet with more experienced caregivers and get advice.

Your local DCFS also has plenty of resources online, including parent handbooks, contact information, and emergency service information. You can learn more about child welfare agencies and how to become a foster parent.

A child-placing agency is always there for you, providing support in times of crisis or even when you have questions. Don't forget about the case worker, who you can contact if you feel lost.

Working with the birth parents is another part of a foster parent's job. However, you don't have to simply contact them to set up visitations and calls. Co-parenting with them is often best for the child, and it can make your job easier.

Foster FAQs for Louisiana

Who qualifies as a foster parent? What if you don't have any parenting experience?

New resource families always have questions, and we're here to provide answers to some of the most common ones.

What Is the Difference Between Foster Care and Adoption?

Foster care is a temporary situation where licensed parents provide short-term care for a child/children that were removed from their home. Kids may be separated from their parents when living in that environment is no longer safe.

The court works with the birth parents to correct the issue, and foster children usually stay with a licensed caregiver during that time. A foster parent's goal is to provide a safe, comfortable, and loving environment for them.

Most case plan goals include reuniting the child with their birth parents or primary caregiver. However, some children become eligible for adoption.

When you adopt, you gain legal rights as a parent and give a child a permanent home.

What Is Dual Certification?

Dual certification means an adult is licensed to both foster and adopt. It's offered by the State of Louisiana. Any parents that wish to foster with the goal of adoption need to become licensed for it.

Is There Financial Assistance?

Foster parents receive some assistance with a foster child's monthly expenses. They receive a daily board rate, which helps with basic care costs such as clothing, food, etc.

The agency also provides medical coverage for the child, so appointments and prescriptions do not come out of pocket.

Become a Foster Parent Today

Now you know more about how to become a foster parent in Louisiana. It all starts with a call to your local foster agency. Once you ask for more information, an advocate will guide you through the next steps.

If you're ready to foster today, please click the button below. We help the many foster children of Louisiana find loving homes and get the care they deserve.

Foster agencies in Louisiana

Select My Foster Agency in Louisiana

General Foster FAQs

General Statistics About Foster Care

• 3,301

  Children in Louisiana foster care in 2021

• 2,358

  Entered Louisiana foster care in 2021

• 6

  Average age of child in foster care in Louisiana

• 12

  The median time spent in foster care in Louisiana

We already know that Louisiana is facing a crisis and there aren't enough foster homes. But how many children are in the system?

These statistics can't tell you what life is like for a foster child, but they can show you the current situation in the state. Here are some of the latest stats for Louisiana from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report:

• There are 3,301 kids in Louisiana's foster care
• 2,358 entered care in 2021
• 1,041 were waiting for adoption as of September 30, 2021
• 531 of those kids had all parental rights terminated
• The median age of kids in care is six years old
• Many kids in foster care are teens waiting for a home
• 50% of cases involve non-relative homes as the most recent placement
• The goal in 67% of cases is reunification with the parents/caregivers
• 29% of case plan goals include adoption
• The median time spent in care is 12.2 months

While the state is looking for any foster parents willing to take some of these children in, some may be waiting for homes longer than others. Anyone willing to foster teenagers or sibling groups is strongly encouraged to do so.

Support Services for Foster Parents in Louisiana

Whether you've considered fostering or this is your first time, you'll have to learn about your state's requirements. In Louisiana, all foster parents must meet the following criteria:

• 21 years old or older
• Financially stable (can care for a child)
• Household members are in good health
• Applicants pass state and federal criminal background checks
• All adults complete the fingerprinting process
• You have enough space for the child in the home
• Complete the 21-hour training
• Finish the home study process
• Provide a minimum of five references

Additionally, foster parents in Louisiana can be single, married, widowed, or divorced.

The licensure process starts with an orientation, where prospective foster parents can learn more about the agency and ask questions. You'll also learn about the certification process and get a rough timeline of how long it can take and what you must do.

If you're still interested after the orientation, you'll complete pre-service training.

The training teaches caregivers about foster children and parenting basics. For instance, you'll learn about TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) training, which helps foster parents understand how trauma affects these children.

The home study process is the longest part, but it is crucial to ensuring a good fit. This is when you'll have interviews and complete documentation.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BECOME A FOSTER PARENT IN Louisiana

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

Still undecided? A Louisana 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 Louisana child today.