How to Become a Foster Parent in New York

Quotes about foster care

How to Become a Foster Parent in New York

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 New York can often seem unclear. FosterUSKids.org helps you become a foster parent in New York by providing information and connecting you with a local agency.

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 New York:

1. Request Information About Fostering – 
   FosterUSKids puts the New York 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 New York, 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. Contact a New York child-placing agency for detailed guidance through every step.

Requirements to Foster in New York

Raising foster children is a rewarding and life-changing experience. You can make a real difference in a child's life, helping them on a path toward success.

Remember that fostering affects the whole family, so talk to your partner and biological children if you're considering this journey. Learn more about what to expect and ensure it fits your lifestyle. You must be healthy and have enough time and energy to care for a child and meet their needs. This is important for gaining foster parent approval because every child must have this foundation of support.

Each state has requirements for foster parents. In New York, applicants must:

• Be 21 years of age or older
• Live in a safe and stable environment
• Have enough space for a foster child
• Show financially stability
• Prove that all family members are in good health
• Pass a background check
• Clear a home safety inspection
• Attend required foster parent training
• Complete the Home Study process
• Provide a minimum of three character references

Foster families in New York can rent or own their homes. Adults can become foster parents no matter their marital or divorce status. All adults who are living in the home with foster children must pass the New York required criminal background check. Every adult must complete both state and federal background checks and undergo fingerprinting.

Interested candidates can make the first call to foster services and get the approval and licensing process started. Contact the New York Office of Children and Family Services (NYOCFS) or your local Department of Social Services (DSS). The first step after expressing interest will be to attend a foster orientation. Potential foster parents can learn about the approval process at the event and get questions answered by a foster child advocate.

The foster parent training requirement begins with pre-service training. After getting licensed, foster parents must participate in ongoing training and educational programs.

Foster FAQs for New York

New foster parents usually have a lot to learn. Here are answers to common questions prospective foster families in New York ask.

How do I Get Information About Fostering or Adopting a Child?

Social workers serving in the foster care system welcome prospective foster parents into the New York foster community. Foster caseworkers first attempt to place displaced children with other family members. Ideally, they match foster or adoptive parents to provide home care if family is not available. Because there is a shortage of foster families, the state places some foster children in a group home setting instead.

Interested applicants can contact their local Department of Social Services or a licensed child-placing agency. A foster advocate will tell you more about the process, review your preferences, and learn more about your family and situation. This information will help a foster advocate support your goals and match your family with children and youth in need.

What is the Goal of Foster Care?

Most case plan goals are to reunite the child with their family, also known as reunification. Returning home with their biological family is most often in a foster child's best interest. Foster kids are not always able to return to their birth families. However, the majority of children in New York's foster care system are there temporarily only until they can safely return home.

The Child Welfare Information Gateway cites New York State's determination of what is in the best interests of a foster child. Usually, each child in foster care returns to their original home after their family completes the tasks assigned by the state.

A foster parent's responsibilities include providing safe and stable housing and a loving home environment for foster kids. The best foster parents understand and support their foster child's unique needs. People who greatly influence foster children show love, help them learn, and encourage their development.

Can I Foster if I do not Have Parenting Experience?

Yes! Although prior experience is an asset, even caregivers without previous parenting experience can foster children in need. You'll learn more about how to care for a child in your foster parent training.

Foster agencies in New York

Select My Foster Agency in New York

General Foster FAQs

General Statistics About Foster Care

• 14,657

  Kids in New York's foster care system

• 21

  Median months a child spends in New York's foster care system

• 3,570

  New York foster kids awaiting adoption

• 12%

  Combined percentage of 16-17-year-old New York foster kids

Many foster parents ask themselves, what is the state of foster care in New York today? The latest 2021 report from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) report in New York says there are:

• 14,657 children in New York's foster care system
• 6,353 kids who entered foster care
• 3,570 foster kids awaiting adoption
• 1,495 foster children whose biological family had parental rights terminated
• 44% of foster youth living in a foster home with non-relatives

New York's foster care system has kids spanning all age groups, with the median age being seven years old. The greatest need is for foster parents who are willing to take sibling groups and adolescents or teenagers. A combined 12% of New York foster system kids are 16-17 years old.

66% of foster care case plans currently have reunification goals to rejoin foster kids with their biological parents. 24% of foster cases have a goal to match a child to an adoptive family. The median time spent in New York's foster care system is just shy of two years, at 21.5 months.

Support Services for Foster Parents in New York

The main foster support resource in New York is the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). People can find much of the information they need about foster care on the OCFS website or by contacting them directly.

You become part of a team when you join the foster community as a foster parent. The other members of your foster team are a continual resource to lean on. In addition to the foster parents, the team consists of your child's foster caseworker, law guardian, and birth parents.

Foster parents can talk to their foster child's case manager to address questions or concerns. When considering becoming a foster parent, people often wonder about school trips, sleepovers, holidays, visits, and daily routines. As they move through the approval process, the questions tend to become more specific about caretaking and foster resources.

In New York, foster care social workers are an invaluable resource to foster parents. They guide foster parents along their journey to ensure a smoother experience as a foster parent.

While it might seem strange initially, you might want to consider co-parenting with the birth family. Most foster care cases aim to reunite the child or children with their parents or primary caregiver. Talking with your foster child's birth parents often provides insights you'll find beneficial. It also makes it easier to coordinate a visitation schedule between your foster kids and their biological family members.

You can ask for help, learn more about the child's interests, and more by co-parenting. Plus, this method is often better for the child's well-being, making this one of your best sources of support.

The foster care system in New York provides financial support to foster families for housing, food, and clothing. New York foster parents receive an annual "board rate," which varies depending on a child's age. Some households may qualify for childcare support, too.

NOW IS THE TIME TO BECOME A FOSTER PARENT IN New York

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

Still undecided? A New York 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 New York child today.