What is a Foster Parent and What Do They Do?

Written by Jessica Young, LICSW | ABCH Social Worker

With over 6,000 foster children across the state of Alabama, foster parents are needed more than ever.

As you read in the previous blog, there are many reasons children are removed from their families, and although the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), makes every attempt to keep children within their own biological families, sometimes they aren’t able to find anyone to care for the child(ren), so they have to reach out to local foster parents. With so many children needing a foster family, there simply aren’t enough foster homes to meet the need. More foster parents are needed.

Foster parents are trained and licensed couples or individuals who go through a lengthy process to become licensed. They also work to complete continuing education activities yearly to maintain their license. You can learn more about foster parent training in our, “How Do I Become a Foster Parent?” post in this series.

Our ABCH foster parents play a very critical role in helping children reach their full potential physically, emotionally, and spiritually. In addition to providing for their basic needs of shelter, food, and clothing, parents can help a hurting child feel like a child again through laughter, bonding, and feeling safe. With faith in Christ being central to who we are and how we serve, our foster parents often take opportunities to teach children to know the Author of Hope.

WAYS TO SERVE AS A FOSTER PARENT

When fostering through ABCH, you can become a full-time Foster Parent, a Respite Foster Parent, or become part of our new Campus Foster Care program.

When children are placed in a foster home, DHR has become the legal custodian and will retain custody of the children while our foster parents serve as their caretakers. Foster families who serve full-time are assigned to a DHR social worker when a child comes into their care. They also receive an ABCH social worker who will walk through the entire fostering process with them. Our foster families provide for each child’s needs and are encouraged to attend any important meetings that involve the case and the court dates for their foster child.

When becoming a respite foster parent, you will be required to go through the same training as full-time foster parents to be licensed, even though you aren’t the full-time caregiver for the child. As a respite provider, you take care of foster children when the full-time foster parent needs a break, or if an emergency arises, and a child may temporarily be placed in your home. Respite foster parents typically provide care from a few days to a few weeks at a time.

Our newest foster care ministry is our Campus Foster Care program, discussed in greater detail in this post, “Foster Parenting Goes Big with Campus Foster Care.” Campus Foster Care provides traditional full-time foster care, but in larger homes on our existing ABCH campuses across Alabama. A distinctive of this program is that it allows for sibling groups, especially larger sibling groups, to stay together since these homes are larger.

THE IMPACT OF FOSTERING

The decision to become a licensed foster parent is one that will change your life. While learning to care for children who come from hard places, you will learn a lot. You will find that you are tougher and can handle more than you ever thought. As you are there to help show them the love of Christ and to offer prayer and support, you will learn to give grace and be more compassionate towards parents who may have been brought up in a rough situation.

Aside from meeting the practical needs of a child, foster parents take on much more than just the practical tasks at hand. You will build an attachment to each child, and I oftentimes hear people say, “Oh, I could never be a foster parent because I would become too attached.”

I’m here to say, ‘Yes, I want you to become attached,’ because through that attachment with the child, you will be accomplishing many things. You’re breaking down walls, you’re building a relationship with them and hopefully their family as well, and you are giving them a safe place to feel comfortable. You are being a bonus family that will stay in touch with them after reunification happens. With healthy attachment also comes sadness when a child leaves your home. During this season, we connect you to other families in our ministry that you can get support from and just be a listening ear when things get hard.

Becoming a foster parent is rewarding, but hard . . . but very rewarding.

GROWING UP IN FOSTER CARE

As a child who grew up in ABCH foster care myself, my foster parents were my family. I became a child of God while living in my foster home in Gardendale. My foster parents taught me so many firsts in my life, and they are the ones I still call to this day when I need someone to talk to. I’m thankful for foster parents.  

When I was asked to write a short blog on what a foster parent is and what they do, all I thought was, ‘Foster parents are heroes, and they do really amazing things.’ But obviously, I couldn’t just write that and expect it to fill up this space!

I hope that becoming a foster parent is something you are called to do, and if you’re in North Alabama, it’s my prayer that I will be able to work alongside you as your social worker.