What are the qualifications to be a foster parent or an adoptive parent?
A. Foster parents and adoptive parents can be married or single, with or without children already in their families. We are looking for individuals, couples, or families who can protect children and nurture them. Both foster and adoptive parents have to understand how children grow and develop, and how abuse and neglect affect that development. Both foster and adoptive parents need to respect that the children placed with them will have feelings about their birth families. The older the child, the more memories and attachments there will be. Foster parents need to help children maintain contact with their birth families, not only because most children do return to their families, but also because it is important to their self-esteem and identity. Visits between children and their families are important. The agency will work with you to arrange these contacts. Visits may be in the foster family’s home. In other cases, foster parents may bring the children to the agency, local restaurant
