16.8 Career Foster Parent Qualifications, Characteristics, & Responsibilities
In order to qualify as a Career foster parent(s), the applicants must be able to meet the following criteria:
- Currently be a licensed foster parent(s), for the Children’s Division;
- The primary caretaker must have one (1) year actual child care experience as a licensed foster parent or one (1) year full-time experience in a professional/volunteer capacity in the care/treatment of children who qualify for Individualized Care (IC) or any combination of the two. Graduation from a four-year college, with a degree in Child and Family Development, Special Education, Psychology, Sociology or other closely related areas may be substituted for the required experience. Approval is required from the Area Director or designee for foster families who cannot meet the above criteria but possess the knowledge and ability to provide IC care;
- Knowledge and understanding of or willing/able to learn behavior modification techniques, theories of personality development and mental illness, communication skills, positive parenting skills, crisis intervention skills and child advocacy skills;
- Ability to assist in the development and implementation of a treatment plan designed for a specific child;
- Ability to work effectively as a team member with other professionals responsible for the care and treatment of children.
- Participate in specialized training and practicum designed specifically for career foster parents and demonstrates acquisition of required knowledge and skills. However, participation does not guarantee acceptance into the Career foster parent program.
- Available 24 hours per day except during periods of scheduled respite.
- Be able to make a minimum commitment of one (1) year to work with a child or youth eligible to participate in the IC program.
- Ability to effectively advocate for timely and quality services for children or youth.
- Ability to maintain an organized record keeping system.
- Ability to act independently to obtain needed services for child including medical, dental, education, etc.
Career foster parents should have the following characteristics:
- Enjoy being a parent and possess good parenting skills;
- Possess a real and sincere commitment to persevere with a challenging youth over long periods of time, even though the youth may show slow improvement and express little appreciation for their efforts;
- Ability to accept that the child or youth will be placed in a more traditional foster care program or be reunited with his/her family once he has stabilized and able to function adequately without intensive intervention; and
- Have skill in talking and listening to children, and be able to establish rapport and gain trust.
Career foster parent responsibilities include, but are not necessarily limited to:
- Provide care and intensive intervention for children who qualify for the IC program;
- Participate in the screening and selection process of children placed in the home of career foster parent(s);
- Implement intervention strategies recommended and/or endorsed by treatment team;
- Participate in all case planning activities, staffings, permanency planning team meetings scheduled on behalf of children in the home;
- Maintain a daily log of child's behavior, significant events, etc. and make periodic written reports to case manager, treatment team and/or court:
- Be available for the child 24 hours per day and respond immediately to any problem experienced or created by the child at home, in school or the community upon request except during approved absences.
- Notify the Children’s Division immediately if child has injured himself, others or destroyed property;
- Schedule and transport child to medical, dental, therapy appointments, recreational activities and parental visits;
- Work with child's parents in an effort to assist them in understanding and managing child's needs and behavior; and
- Provide training and/or assistance to other foster parent or foster parent applicants.