Tips For Foster Parents Part 1: How and Why to Become a Foster Parent
If you and your family have ever considered fostering children, take this as your sign to take the leap. Tennessee is woefully lacking in foster families right now—forcing some kids in the system to sleep in DCS’s offices across the state, sometimes for weeks or even months. See this article from WBIR discussing the issue in more detail.
Local Options to Become a Foster Parent
Whether you are looking to permanently expand your family, or just want to help out a kid in need, becoming a foster parent can be a tremendously rewarding experience. If fostering children is something that you feel passionate about, you have several options to choose from, depending on your family’s resources and needs.
- Families may work directly with the Department of Children's Services to obtain licensure to foster. Once the child is placed in your home, a DCS caseworker will come by about once a month to check in with the children in your care.
- If you would prefer greater support while fostering children in your home, contact our friends at Camelot Care Centers of East Tennessee. Fostering with Camelot gains you and your foster children access to an additional caseworker to help manage your case, plus invaluable resources such as dedicated mental health services.
Other Ways to Help Out
Not ready for a long term commitment? There are so many other ways to help out. Contact DCS or your local agency about providing respite or temporary emergency foster care. Donating childcare items or babysitting services are other ways to help other foster parents.
At Held Law Firm, we want to support foster and adoptive parents in any way we can. If you are a current foster parent or are seeking to become a foster parent soon, please watch for our other articles soon in the Tips for Foster Parents series.
If you have questions about foster parent advocacy, or would like to adopt a foster child in your care, reach out to us at 865-637-6550 and schedule your free consultation today!
