CHOICES, Inc. :: Children Have Options in Caring Environments

FOSTER PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES and QUALIFICATIONS

Purpose:

Treatment foster homes provide skilled and caring substitute families for children and teens to live until their own family issues are resolved. Foster parents provide children and teens with the guidance, discipline, and safety they would give their own children. Foster parents work with the foster care agency to address the children's special needs until they can return to their own families, move to permanent adoptive homes or live independently.

Responsibilities:

1.	Provide a safe and comfortable environment for a child to live with a separate bed and place for his/her belongings
2.	To provide for the child's basic physical and emotional needs as you would your own child's
3.	To provide for school attendance, monitor progress, documenting special needs and accomplishments
4.	To provide appropriate clothing
5.	To insure medical and dental care is received including regular checkups as well as attending to special needs
6.	To help children through the grieving and adjustment process that accompanies removal from their own home and placement into foster care
7.	To help children maintain a realistic relationship with their birth family. Work cooperatively with the visitation plan and be supportive and understanding of children's feelings. To assist children in preparing to return home or being moved to an adoptive home
8.	To provide recreational and enrichment activities that will promote the healthy development of children
9.	To maintain a lifebook for the children placed in your home recording their time in care, developmental milestones, photographs, report cards, and significant events
10.	To provide consistent and realistic discipline and guidance that is age appropriate and does not involve corporal punishment

Qualifications & Skills:

1.	Must be 21 years of age and willing to complete all state licensing requirements
2.	Ability to provide physical and emotional care to children
3.	Ability to recognize and meet individual needs of children
4.	Ability to provide consistent discipline through positive reinforcement and interaction
5.	Ability to accept children into your home as well as the ability to let them go
6.	Ability to understand and show acceptance of children's parents, be committed to promoting reunification of families and permanency for children
7.	Ability to work as a team member with the agency, birth families, courts, schools and others
8.	Ability to actively listen to children and to help meet their needs in a positive way
9.	Ability to build positive self-esteem in others

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