About Foster and Adoption at The Settlement Home

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
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.
  • Parents who foster school-age children are their kids’ cheerleaders and coaches—they teach their
    kids the basic social skills they may have missed, advocate for their children at school, 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.
  • The verification process can take anywhere from two to twelve months, depending on the family’s
    pace and readiness. Families complete 40 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 family developer before they ever sign the family 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 can create and prepares them for the ins and outs of the foster parenting experience. During
    this process, families figure out how to be the best parent for children in foster care. After they are
    verified, the family developer works to match them with awaiting children.

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 longterm
foster-care while they wait for adoption—the teaching and loving that foster parents give their
children are lasting gifts.

 

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