Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York
Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a not-for-profit charity serving children, families, and individuals with developmental disabilities across New York City and Long Island. Since 1930, Little Flower has been committed to improving the lives and well-being of the children, families, and people with developmental disabilities across NYC and Long Island so they can reach their full potential.
Our staff of over 500 people builds well-being by providing foster boarding home care, residential treatment care, adoption services, programs and services for individuals with developmental disabilities, and medical and mental health services.
Services and information
- Traditional Foster Care
- Specialized / Therapeutic Care
- Emergency Foster Care
- Respite Foster Care
- Adoption
- Other
Requirements to become a foster parent
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.
Ratings and Reviews
Average user rating
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Jan 08, 2017
These people who are affiliated with ACS, care NOTHING about your children. Instead of looking for children who come from broken violent homes they give power you rebellious teenagers and attach families who are 100 percent involved and concerned with their children education and future.
My child has a habit of going well and they haven't done a thing about it. She's not the same girl I raised anymore. The system doesn't give Kurds any consequences for their actions. My child never had a curfew at home because school Was to be her 1st priority and she's easily distracted and is a follower. She has learned not only how to manipulate us but she manipulates the system. They DO NOT CARE about your children education, week being, or trying to very her the help she needs to come back home ti her family that has spend thousands of dollars in lawyer fees to get her into a rehabilitation facility. She goes AWOL quite often. Once she was missing from little flowers care from Nov 2nd to almost Christmas without them doing their job to our a warrant on her. They keep giving her chance after chance to ruin her life. They refuse to help us have her rehabilitated in a lock down facility. Since she has been with us, get parents, she never got left back and if she was struggling I kept in close contact with ALL her teachers to make sure all her assignments were completed and would srudyy with her for tests. These people collect a check for her and do bobber of the above. Telling us we need to take parenting classes when the real problems began after they RIPPED her out of our home along with ACS. She's now 16 and we keep pushing for a lockdown facility because they're killing my daughter's future. My child thinks this is all fun and games until she becomes too old to be in the system. Then what??? Then we get her more damaged than they already caused and have to do the job they were getting paid to do? I have another child at fine who is doing phenomenal in school at at home. But they insist on us taking parenting classes and anger management classes when they need to take the proper classes for them to work with children.
These people this far have been nothing but bs. Fight for your child if you must to be located at a facility where they can help rehabilitate them to realize their education is important. Not ridiculous curfews and bar hopping and going AWOL like it could has been doing. Get your child the help they need and get it from someone qualified that is not going to give your child the outer to run the streets and do whatever they want. She doesn't want to come home all the sudden because she has faced no punishment or consequences for her actions and has a large curfew summer and school nights. They blame us for the stuff she does in their custody. This program is a sham and we're still fighting for them to right their wrongs. But they try to hide and bury their mistakes.
SO DON'T TRUST LITTLE FLOWER. I WOULDN'T EVEN GIVE THEm 1 star IF U DIDN'T HAVE TO, to make this post.
That's how bad they operate.
The system asking with little flower has failed my child.