The Department of Children and Families operates foster family services in every state.
Foster care provides homes for children without families across the United States. According to "The Market for Foster Care: An Empirical Study of the Impact of Foster Care Subsidies," about 800,000 children spend part of their lives with foster parents. However, the system has more children than volunteers for foster parents. You can find foster parents in your area as well as learn more about local adoption programs through government contacts and private agencies.
Instructions
1. Contact your local Department of Children and Families (DCF). Every state has multiple locations. For example, in Florida, DCF splits several regions, then organizes into circuits. You can search for your state's DCF website using search engines or the federal website for Administration for Children and Families.
2. Visit the directory at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website for Administration for Children and Families. This directory provides search options for foster care by state and territory, as well as private and public agencies. Select your state from the menu and then choose what types of foster care you require, then click "Go." The next page lists all the agencies that meet your criteria.
3. Visit foster care agencies on the web to find out information about potential foster parents. Multiple sites offer resources for people trying to find foster parents for their children. For instance, Foster Care and Adoptive Community at Fosterparents.com offers a directory, forum and links to government resources. Partnership for Strong Families also offers a directory and even has a program for people wanting to become foster parents.
4. Contact a foster care specialist in your state to help locate a foster parent. Adoption.com lists foster specialists in every state with phone numbers and addresses. By contacting a specialist, you can request more information on foster parents in your area as well as other ways of providing care to a child, such as through adoption.
Tags: foster parents, Children Families, your state, Administration Children, Administration Children Families