Austin Foster Parents
The Settlement Home for Children is looking for Therapeutic Foster Parents! Teenagers are in need of homes!!!
Dates to Remember:
Monday, June 15th 6pm-8pm:
Adoption & Foster Parent Orientation
RSVP via email or call 512-836-2150 x139
See our tentative training schedule.
Our foster families are a diverse group of singles and couples from a variety of backgrounds, but the important thing they have in common is a commitment to care for the children placed in their home with the same level of care as if they were their own children. Our families care for infants, toddlers, school-age children, and teenagers who have been removed from the state due to abuse or neglect. They provide love and support while children grieve the disruption in their life from being placed in foster care and the pain that their parents’ neglect or abuse has created. As they go through the process,
Parents who foster infants and toddlers have the opportunity to create the building blocks of their future life skills—learning that an adult will meet their needs, learning boundaries, learning language and empathy because their foster parents are pouring attention and words into their lives.
Parents who foster school-age children are their kids’ cheerleaders and coaches—they teach their kids the basic social skills they may have missed, like how to make friends, apologize, talk to adults, or give and receive gifts. They advocate for their children at school and challenge them to try new things and help them discover their strengths.
Parents who foster teenagers have the opportunity to fight against some of the worst statistics in our country: 60% of kids in foster-care do not get a high school diploma…over 30% of kids who “age out” of foster-care spend time homeless, many more are quickly victims of crime or eventually end up in the justice system themselves. Parents of teenagers have the opportunity to leverage a teens’ natural desire for independence and accomplishment into helping them prepare for an adulthood that comes more quickly for children in foster-care than anyone else in our society. They can help teach them basic skills—cooking, budgeting, navigating the transportation system, learning how to find a job, learning how to keep records, pay bills, fill-out applications, etc.
Foster parents at the Settlement Home prepare for these, and other challenges, through a verification process that can take anywhere from two to twelve months, depending on the family’s pace and readiness. Families complete 24 hours of pre-service classes, fill-out application materials, have their home inspected by fire and health inspectors, and complete a home-study interview with the developer before they ever sign the contract with our agency to open their homes to children. The pre-service training prepares parents for the unique challenges that a child’s history of trauma create for the child, and prepares them for the ins and outs of the foster parenting experience. During this process, families can figure out what kinds of children will be the best fit for their home, and then after they are verified, we call them when we get requests for children that match their home.
Foster parents have the opportunity to create a lasting impact on the children who stay in their home—whether the children return to their families, move quickly on to adoption, or require long-term foster-care while they wait for adoption—the teaching and loving that foster parents give their children are lasting gifts.