Want to foster a child in Missouri? Here’s what you need to know
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Want to foster a child in Missouri? Here’s what you need to know
Missouri is facing a shortage of foster families. If you want to help fill the gap and have been considering opening up your home to a child in need, now may be the time.
Since the pandemic started, Missouri has lost a total of 515 resource homes for children in foster care. Between 2019 and 2021, the state lost 377 licensed relative foster homes for children and another 100 licensed foster homes.
The state has also seen a decline in special acuity homes for kids with special needs, according to Lori Ross, CEO of FosterAdopt Connect, which is a nonprofit organization working to help families and children navigate the foster care system.
“We haven’t been able to keep up with the recruitment and retention and with the functioning of the agencies that do child welfare,” Ross said. “Our goal is to connect to people in the community with ways to make a difference for kids…because there is always a way to help.”
FosterAdopt Connect doesn’t place children in foster care homes, but it does help recruit families for kids who have significantly elevated physical and mental health needs, kids who are aging out of the foster care system.
Ross said children are also in need of families who can help keep siblings together and more families of color who can relate to children from diverse backgrounds.
“We need foster parents that are willing to do the work,” Ross said, adding that in many cases the end goal of fostering is to eventually reunite children with their families.
There are different kinds of foster care homes
Kids in need of a caring foster home are often dealing with a wide range of issues, and some will need a specific kind of care. There are a number of different types of foster homes needed, according to FosterAdopt Connect. Before taking the leap, you and your family should consider what level of fostering you are prepared for.
▪ Respite or short-term care offers time off to foster parents who need a break from their responsibilities.
▪ Traditional care puts a child or children in your care for an indefinite period of time.
▪ Emergency care is a temporary placement of 30 days or less. This gives caseworkers extra time to find an appropriate long-term placement.
▪ Medical foster care is for children who need support with a disability or medical condition.
▪ Elevated-needs or treatment care is a level of foster care for kids who may have moderate to severe behavioral needs.
What are the requirements to foster?
Families and individuals that are able are always encouraged to step up and become foster parents.
In Missouri there are a number of requirements for fostering a child. You need to:
▪ Be at least 21 years old
▪ Pass a child abuse and neglect check and criminal record check
▪ Be in good health
▪ Have a stable income
▪ Have no more than six (biological, foster or adoptive) children already in the home
▪ Be open to participating in a training and assessment program
▪ Have personal, work and medical references
▪ Be open to being a part of a professional team that may voice concerns for the child
▪ And in some cases, be willing to work with the child’s family
How does the process work?
The training and assessments required for adoption are a very important part of the process. Once you decide to become a foster parent, there are about 20 to 30 hours of pre-service training required that will introduce you to being a foster parent and navigating the journey ahead, according to Ross.
This training will also cover how to care for children who have experienced abuse and neglect or who may have some behavioral triggers, as well as how to access resources for the child.
“So it’s a big, intensive kind of pre-service training,” Ross said. While in training, prospective parents will be assigned a social worker who will do a home study of you and your family.
“They’re looking at your house, they’re running background checks on all the adults in the family, they’re visiting regularly, they’re asking you about how you were raised as a child,” Ross said.
After the initial training and home assessment are passed, the state can issue a foster care license. To maintain that license, families will still need to complete 30 training hours every two years. Those sessions can be quite specific to whatever topic you might need more information on, like eating disorders or trauma-informed care.
What else do I need to know about being a foster parent?
Foster parents are also eligible for a monthly stipend for the children in their care to help with food, clothes and other necessities. To get a sense of how much financial support foster homes receive from the Missouri Department of Social Services’ Children’s Division, check here.
“There’s this perception that fostering is about money, and that is almost never the case,” Ross said.
“What’s reality is that foster families are people who deeply care about children and are just doing the best they can every single day to try to make a difference in a kid’s life.”
To start your own foster care journey contact DSS at 573-522-1191, or email fostercare@dss.mo.gov. You can also learn more by visiting the DSS website, where you can find frequently asked questions and a handbook for foster parents.