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Foster Parent Requirements at a Glance
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The generally accepted definition of foster care is “the placement of a child into the legal custody or legal authority of a county department of human/social services for physical placement of a child into a certified or licensed facility.” (Colorado Department of Human Services) That’s a mouthful, I know.
In simpler terms, foster care means placing a child with an emergency situation into a temporary home where they can have a supportive and stable family environment while their birth family works on correcting the problem that prevents them from parenting their child effectively. Foster parents, then, are the parents in the temporary home who care for the child until reunification with birth family is possible. If that reunification becomes impossible, the child ultimately becomes available for adoption. Sometimes foster parents adopt them; sometimes biological family members do.
Foster parents are held to a pretty high standard and must be willing to commit to a child or group of children with open hearts. Criminal background checks, home inspections, continual education, and other requirements must be satisfactorily completed in order for someone to become a foster parent. In Colorado, PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) classes are typically required as a method for ensuring consistency in helping foster parents learn to parent foster children. The classes run over several weeks or months depending on your county, although some counties offer them as part of a cram-packed three or four day seminar.
A foster parent, above all, is someone who protects and nurtures children. They are expected to support relationships between children and their birth families, work as a member of a professional county team, and ensure the safety of the child at all times. In my home, we treat our foster kids as full members of our family from the day they arrive until the day they leave. They are loved and accepted as not just our children, but as our daughter’s – albeit temporary – brothers and sisters.
Who is a foster parent? Anyone who can love children unconditionally and help them through a difficult time in their young lives.
Foster parents in Colorado take PRIDE classes. Learn about them here.
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