Should I be a Foster Parent? Ten questions to help you find out if you have what it takes.

There is an ongoing need for foster parents in Texas. When CPS removes a child from the custody of their biological parents due to abuse or neglect, they place the child in a foster home until it is safe for the child to return home. The Hope Cottage Foster Care Services Program educates, licenses, and supports foster families to foster and adopt children in foster care. Many people recognize the need for more, safe, loving foster families, but doubt if they are qualified to become foster parents. There are basic requirements that clearly define who CAN become a foster parent, but the basic requirements don’t answer the question that most people want to know. So if you’ve recently found yourself asking, “is foster parenting right for me?” these 10 questions may help you figure out the answer.

Are you in a stable place in life?

Major life events such as marriage, divorce, death, or even career change can cause stress that demands your attention. Foster parenting brings new challenges with new stressors. So you’ll need to have plenty of time and energy to devote. While life is never going to be perfect, it is important to minimize instability as much as is reasonable before starting your fostering journey. This will allow you to focus more on your foster children and provide them with the excellent love and care they need.

Do you practice self-care?

Many people think of spa treatments and naps when they hear “self-care,” but effective self-care is more than treats or sweets. Stress affects us all every day, and we can’t always stop to take a bubble bath. Self-Care should be a repertoire of healthy habits that you practice daily to help you regulate your emotions. Take a few minutes to write down practical ways that you manage your physical and mental every day, week, or month. This list may include talking to a friend on the phone, playing Wordle each morning, going on a hike on Saturdays, etc. Knowing what helps you feel better will prepare you to meet the challenges you will face as a foster parent.

Do you have a support network?

Everybody needs somebody sometimes. Foster parents need friends, family, and community members to help them succeed. Do you have a family member who could drop off a meal on a busy night? Can someone in your life sign up to become a qualified babysitter who can provide respite and help with transportation? Do you know a pediatrician who accepts Star Medicaid insurance? What kind of resources are available for children at your local library? You don’t need answers to all of these questions, yet, as long as you are not afraid to ask for help. Your Hope Cottage case manager can help you look for ways to delegate tasks and make referrals for professional services.

Can you be vulnerable?

The application process includes comprehensive background checks, medical examinations, and personal interviews. The goal of these tasks is to ensure you are prepared and able to provide safe, loving care to foster children, but the process can feel invasive. Unfortunately, the feeling of exposure doesn’t go away when you receive a license. Once you are licensed and fostering a child, you will have visits in your home at least once a month with Hope Cottage and CPS, as required by the state of Texas. However, we want you to feel comfortable with Hope Cottage and your case manager, so we strive to build a strong relationship with your family from the first time you inquire and throughout the application process. It’s important that you find an agency you can trust.

Are you financially independent?

There is no minimum income threshold to become a foster parent, but foster parents should be fiscally responsible. The funds that foster parents receive from the state are meant to reimburse the expenses related to caring for foster children. Therefore, people interested in fostering should be able to provide documentation showing they have a regular source of income from stable employment and can budget money each month to cover childcare-related costs.

Do you have a spare bedroom in your residence?

Foster children need to have their own sleeping space with a place to store their belongings. Sometimes children close to the same age can share a bedroom, but each child must have at least 40 square feet of their own space in their room. You do not have to own a home. Many foster parents live in apartments or rental properties. Your Hope Cottage case manager can provide more information about the requirements for your home.

Do you have a flexible schedule?

Foster children have lots of events and appointments. Children often have weekly visits to the CPS office with their biological family, medical appointments, and therapies. Scheduling these appointments is easier if you or someone in your household has flexible work hours or a day off during the traditional work week. Whenever you decide to start the application process to become a foster parent, it may be a good time to speak with your employer about what flexibility they offer in adjusting your schedule or taking days off. Click here to learn more about working full-time while fostering.

Are you physically prepared to parent children?

Children require lots of energy and attention. From running around playing tag in the backyard to hauling backpacks and sports gear to and from the car, parenting can be a workout! Part of the application to become a foster parent is completing a wellness screening with your physician, so it is important that you consider the physical demands that parenting children may place on your body. If you do have physical health diagnoses, you may be required to provide a letter of recommendation from your treating physician to verify how you are managing your condition and that you are prepared to parent children.

Are you able to complete the necessary documentation?

Record keeping is an integral part of foster parenting. You’ll need to document events such as medical examinations, administration of medication, and any significant physical or behavioral changes you observe from your foster children. There is also monthly documentation that must be submitted, including foster parent logs and recreational logs. Hope Cottage utilizes a secure online documentation system where you can complete your application and manage your foster children’s paperwork.

Can you sustain consistent communication?

Many people are a part of a child’s foster care team and rely on foster parents to communicate crucial information about the children in their care. Some people will be in direct contact with you. For example, Hope Cottage, teachers, CPS caseworkers, CASA volunteers, and counselors work closely with foster parents to provide support services for foster children. In addition, your direct contacts relay your case notes to other stakeholders like supervisors, judges, and the children’s biological family members. Sustained consistent communication helps foster children in your home receive the services they need to succeed.Hopefully, these 10 questions have helped shine a little more light on the preparation that goes into making the decision to become a foster parent. If you aren’t sure how to answer some of the questions above, or you are ready to start your application, please contact our foster care team.