 |
 |
1. Where do foster children come from? 2. How long do children stay in foster care? 3. Can I choose the ethnicity of the child whom I foster or adopt? 4. Can I choose the gender of the child who I foster or adopt? 5. What happens to siblings in foster care?
6. What is the process to become a foster family?
1. Where do foster children come from? Foster children have been separated from their families due to abuse and/or neglect. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) has a Child Abuse Hotline that handles calls reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. DCFS social workers will respond to calls and determine whether the report are unsubstantiated or substantiated. If it is determined that children are at risk for further abuse by staying in the home, DCFS will detain the children and look for appropriate relatives to place the children with. If no appropriate relative is located, DCFS will place the children with a family in the community who has been licensed or certified as a foster family.
The length of a child's stay in foster care varies greatly, case by case. Some children live with foster families for a few days, others a few years. In our experience, the average length is approximately 1 year.
Yes, you can specify the ethnicity that you feel comfortable incorporating into your family. Foster children represent all ethnic backgrounds found in this country. However, the majority of children are of African-American or Latino decent. There is a great need for families to provide homes for children of color. There are more homes that have specified a Caucasian child than there are Caucasian children which means that a family may wait a longer time if they are only open to Caucasian children.
Yes, you can specify the gender of the child that you feel most comfortable fostering and/or adopting. However, there are far more homes that want to foster or adopt a female child than a male child and therefore, homes are most needed for male children. When children must be placed in separate homes, foster/adoptive parents will be asked to maintain contact.
If it all possible, siblings are kept together in one home. When there is no home available for all siblings, tragically they are sometimes split up into different homes. There is a tremendous need for families who can take multiple children.
6. What is the process to become a foster family? The process begins with the first call to Westside Children's Center by a prospective foster family. An information packet will be sent and interested adults can schedule orientation to learn more and become registered for training. During the MAPP Training, each adult living in the home must be be fingerprinted and child abuse indexed to make sure that the adults living in the home do not have an extensive criminal background or prior report of child abuse. The family needs to fill out paperwork that provides background information on family members. A family assessment, otherwise known as a "home study," will then be conducted by a social worker from the agency. The social worker will go through the house and show you what you need to do to satisfy the state regulations and will conduct individual and family interviews. This is also your opportunity to ask any individual questions or concerns that you may have. In addition, this is our opportunity to address any concerns we have and get more details about you. At the end of this process, your family can become certified. This process can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months from the time you start your training. |
12120 Wagner Street
Culver City, CA, 90230
Phone: (310) 390-0551 | Fax: (310) 397-2213
General Information: info@westsidechildrens.org
