Top 8 Things You Need to Know Before Doing Foster Care

1. Making the Decision

Before jumping into foster care, most families spend two or three years just thinking about it. Here are a few points to consider before making the final decision on whether or not to do foster care.

• Is Foster Care for You?
• Fostering By State - Find Your State's Contact Information Here

2. Foster Care Children Have Needs - What Needs Can you Meet?

• What ages of children should you foster?
• What behaviors or special needs can you handle?
• Know the challenges of working with a foster child.
• Consider the child's Age, Sex, Needs... before fostering. This article is focused on adopting but contains valuable points to think over for fostering as well.

3. Understanding Foster Care Children

• Child Abuse Risk Factors
• All About Grief and Loss in Children

4. For the Foster Parent's Mental Health

• 10 Surefire Ways to Destroy a Perfectly Good Marriage with Foster Care
• Need a Break From Foster Care? - Preparing for Respite
• The National Foster Parent Association - Learn How to Become a Member
• 12 Prayer Requests for Children in Foster Care
• Avoiding Child Abuse in Times of Stress

5. Working With Birth Family

• Meeting the Birth Family
• Fostering the Whole Family
• Potty Training and Foster Care - Working Together

6. Working With Foster Care Agencies and Social Workers

• Being a Part of Case Plans or Other Meetings - Come Prepared to Participate
• 11 Ways for Your Agency to Maintain Foster Families

7. Prepare to Bring a Foster Child Home

• Set up a room for an infant adoption.
• Set up a room for an older child adoption.

8. The First Few Days With the Foster Child

• Introducing a Foster Child into Your Family
• Meeting Your New Foster Child
• Top 10 Five Minute Bonding Activities
• 10 Things to Do Before Sending a Foster Child Back-to-School
• 10 Things to Do When Foster Care Children Don’t Get Along