YES! Parents are expected to visit regularly, except in unusual circumstances. The parent/child relationship must be maintained if at all possible. It is very hard for children to be separated from their parents, even when the parents have harmed the child. No one can easily replace a child's parents.

No, however foster parents do receive a "reimbursement" to offset the costs of a child's room, board, clothing and related expenses. Financial wealth is not a requirement to become a foster parent. You do need to have enough income so the expenses of fostering are not a financial hardship for the child or your family. See similar questions...

The Agency shares responsibility with them. The parents are responsible for the day-to-day care of the child, while DSS carries overall responsibility for decisions about the child. We strongly encourage the foster family to voice their opinions and concerns regarding a prospective foster child. There needs to be "good match" between the child and foster family. See similar questions...

Most children in foster care visit their biological parents on a regular basis, at the DSHS offices or another location in the community, as part of the court-ordered plan to reunite the family. Foster parents are expected to cooperate with the child’s visitation plan. This does not mean the foster parents have to meet the parents or even have their identity revealed, but it is in the best interest of the child if the foster parents are willing to work with the bio-parents. See similar questions...

Your wishes and preferences, strengths and needs are considered before a child is placed in your home. You are free to ask questions about the child and about his or her background. You are not required to accept a child into your home - if you feel you cannot accept a child, you simply let your social worker know. See similar questions...

When the court decides that it is in the child's best interest to be separated from their family and made eligible for adoption foster parents are normally the first resource considered for adoption. We have a growing list of children in our program who have been adopted by their foster parents. See similar questions...

A single child or a child with his/her siblings who can no longer live with their biological parents or guardians due to abuse, neglect or abandonment issues. They may be an infant, a toddler, school-age or a teenager. They may have varying religious and cultural backgrounds. For a foster parent application, please click here. See similar questions...

All children are referred by the Department of Children and Family Services. These children have been identified by Juvenile Court as "Children in Need of Protective Services" or who have been found delinquent or at least the present time children cannot receive the care they need in their own family home. See similar questions...

Children enter foster care for a variety of reasons. The majority of the children are unable to remain at home with their families because of abuse, neglect, or a family crisis. Many of the families have substance abuse problems. Occasionally, parents place their children in foster care because they are unable to carry out their responsibilities. See similar questions...

Foster parents are reimbursed at a set rate for care and supervision of a child. The Internal Revenue Service does not consider foster care payments income for purposes of taxation. Rates are reviewed annually. Foster parents are not responsible for a child's medical expenses. Children in care are usually eligible for Medicaid that covers all medical, mental, and dental health needs. A child may also be covered under his or her family's health insurance plan. See similar questions...

Foster parents receive a monthly reimbursement check to assist with the routine costs of providing for the needs of a foster child. Medicaid coverage is provided to children in the custody of the agency to cover medical and dental expenses. Foster parents are eligible to request mileage reimbursement when transporting children to approved appointments such as visitations with the birth family, medical appointments and counseling sessions. See similar questions...

It is the policy of Mount Dora Children’s Home to have no more than four foster children in a foster home at one time. We believe every child should have their own bedroom, or share a room with another child of the same gender. Every effort is made to place brothers and sisters in the same home. For a foster parent application, please click here. See similar questions...

Good parenting is determined by competence, love for ones children, and many other factors, not the degree of sight someone has. Sight, by itself, does not make someone a good parent, and blindness, by itself, does not make someone a bad parent. Blind people learn about parenting, just as sighted parents do. See similar questions...

Answer: No, that would be an indirect cost of substance abuse. Please refer to the document posted on the web under the Local Councils which provides definitions for prevention, intervention, and treatment, as well as Direct versus Indirect activities. Answer: Yes, the local jurisdiction plan needs to include a survey of federal, state, local, and private foundation funds used for prevention, intervention, and treatment in that locality. See similar questions...

Children enter the public foster care system for a wide variety of reasons, such as abuse, neglect, drug abuse, and many other factors. See similar questions...