Important Information For Would-Be Foster Parents

In a perfect world, every child would have a safe, loving, nurturing home in which to grow up. Unfortunately, life is not always so idyllic for children growing up in today's world - for any number of different reasons, many children are displaced from their birth families. However, these children do not necessarily have to be raised in group homes or orphanages. Foster care may be another option.

If you are considering fostering a child (or multiple children) or would simply like to learn more about the process, this article is for you. Keep reading to learn some important general information about the foster system in Missouri, courtesy of our family attorneys at the Lake of the Ozarks.

 What Is Foster Care?

 Simply put, foster care is an arrangement wherein a couple or individual adult agrees to provide food, shelter, clothing, and other necessities to children who do not have parents or other legal guardians who can fulfill these responsibilities. Foster arrangements are generally temporary - they are designed to last until the foster child is returned to their legal custodian, legally adopted or "ages out" of the foster system.

 Foster parents play a crucial role in foster children's lives. Ideally, their foster parents provide the safe, nurturing environment these children need to recover from the negative situations, experiences, and circumstances they may have encountered in their past.

 Foster Parent Requirements

 You must meet certain specific requirements in order to become a foster parent. For example, you must...
  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • Not have a criminal record (especially for crimes relating to child abuse, elder abuse, or any kind of sexual abuse).
  • Have enough bedrooms in your home to accommodate the foster kid(s).
  • Have a consistent source of income that will enable you to meet the foster children's needs (although in some cases, financial assistance is provided the foster parents).
  • Be willing to have a home assessment (which will include all family members in your household).
  • Attend the foster parent training sessions provided in your area.

Local governments may have their own additional requirements that adults must meet in order to be eligible to be foster parents. For example, while single adults are welcome to become foster parents, some governments or agencies will not allow unmarried cohabiting adults to foster children (unless they are related).

Making Fostering Accessible

Though the aforementioned requirements must be met, becoming a foster parent is very doable for most adults. Foster parents do not have to have extremely high income or very large homes. Same-sex children are allowed to share bedrooms, and opposite-sex children are allowed to share bedrooms as long as they are below a certain age (typically 5). 

Generally, foster parents receive a stipend from the state to help off-set the financial burdens of raising a child. While this stipend is helpful, however, it is important that parents not rely on it as the sole source of financial stability for the foster child. Foster parents will often be required to invest their own money in the child's life as well.

Fostering To Adopt

As a foster parent, you may have the option of legally adopting your foster children. Adoption will make your temporary situation permanent - once your children are adopted, they will live with you until they become adults. However, it is important to note that fostering does not guarantee you will be able to adopt the children; foster children may also be reunited with their birth families or adopted by other families.

Considering Foster Care? Contact Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C.

 The foster system plays a crucial role in our modern society, and foster parents are an invaluable resource to children in need. If you are considering becoming a foster parent or would like more information on fostering to adopt, we encourage you to schedule a consultation with one of our family attorneys in Camdenton MO. We can educate you on the various legal implications of your decision and help you move forward in the most effective way possible.

 Call (573) 346-7231 to schedule your initial case review.

Law Offices of Phillips, McElyea, Carpenter, & Welch, P.C.
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