The Questions You Need to Ask a Foster Care Agency

Deciding to become a foster parent is an exciting though often overwhelming decision. Being a foster parent is incredibly rewarding, but it is important to be working with the right foster care agency to ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible.

The foster care agency will interview you and other people in your household prior to approving you to become a foster carer with their agency.At the same time, you should interview the agency yourself and ask the following:

image:essexfostering.co.uk

How Many Children Have You Received Funding For?

Some less reputable foster care agencies will recruit more foster care parents than they are approved to take children for. This means that you or other foster parents may be left with empty homes for months, if not years, because the agency does not have foster children available for care.

What Age Is the Agency Approved to Care for?

Not all foster care agencies are able to take on children in every age group. Some may only be approved to care for children 0 to 12 years of age, while others may only care for teens. Agencies like Quality Foster Care Ltd are able to care for children anywhere from 0 to 18 years old.

If you are a potential foster parent who is interested in caring for infants and babies, then you may need to do additional homework to find these agencies. Many agencies do not place infants and babies with foster parents because of the level of care required.

How Long Is the Assessment Period?

Foster parents are understandably eager to start the assessment period so that they can begin looking after children. The assessment period is typically six months or so and will be conducted by a well-trained caseworker. If the assessment phase is going to take nine months or longer, then it may be a sign that the agency is overloaded.