Foster Care & Adoption Services
Lake County Job & Family Services
Become A Foster Parent
Choosing to become a foster parent is a big decision, but also a rewarding one! We believe every child deserves a safe, loving home to live in, and if you’re on this page, it means you believe that too. Please scroll down this page to learn more about what is involved with becoming a foster parent and how you can help change a child’s life!
Getting Started
Once you’ve made the decision to become a foster parent, the licensing process begins with pre-service training. Prospective foster parents must complete 24-hours of pre-service training, which can be accomplished both in person as well as virtually (or a combination of both). In-person training takes place during the evenings as well as weekends.
During the training, we’ll teach you about the special issues that are common to children in the foster care system. We’ll review issues such as abuse, neglect, child development, attachmet and separation issues, as well as the impact providing foster care can have on your family.
Your Home Assessment
Once you’ve completely your 24 hours of training, you will then need a home assessment. During the home assessment stage of process, you will need to gather and complete paperwork. In addition, you’ll engage in multiple interviews with the Social Worker assigned to your family. During this time, your assigned Social Worker will work with you to help identify the child (or in some cases, children) that are most appropriate for your family.
Once the home assessment is completed, documentation of the process will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to issue foster care license.
On-Going Training & Support
Once a family is licensed as foster parents, they are required to complete 40 hours of ongoing training every two years. The agency will assist foster parents by providing a per diem stipend for the care of the child. Day care assistance is also available for working foster parents.