How to Become a Foster Parent
A complete overview of requirements, the approval process, and what to expect as a foster family.
Who Can Become a Foster Parent?
Foster parenting is open to a wide range of people. While requirements vary by state, most allow:
- Single adults, married couples, and domestic partners
- People who rent (not just homeowners)
- LGBTQ+ individuals and couples in most states
- Adults of any age (typically 21+, though some states allow 18+)
- People with other children already in the home
The 6 Steps to Approval
Attend an Information Session
Most states require an initial orientation where you learn about the foster care system, expectations, and the approval process. Often free and available online.
Submit an Application
Complete a formal application with your state or licensed agency. You'll provide personal information, employment history, and references.
Background Checks
All adults in the household undergo criminal background checks, child abuse registry checks, and sometimes sex offender registry checks. Minor criminal history doesn't automatically disqualify you.
Complete Pre-Service Training
Required training ranges from 6 to 30+ hours depending on the state, covering child development, trauma-informed care, and navigating the child welfare system.
Home Study
A caseworker visits your home to assess safety, space, and your capacity to care for a child. They'll interview household members and review your documentation.
Placement & Approval
Once approved, you'll be matched with children based on your household's profile and the child's needs. The first placement can happen quickly — sometimes within days of approval.
What to Expect
Foster parenting is rewarding but challenging. Children in foster care have often experienced trauma, neglect, or abuse. Many will have behavioral or emotional needs that require patience and specialized approaches.
Your state's child welfare agency will assign a caseworker to support you and the child. You'll participate in the child's care plan, attend court hearings, and work toward permanency — whether that's reunification with family, adoption, or another stable placement.
Finding Your State Agency
Each state has its own child welfare agency that oversees foster care licensing. You can start at childwelfare.gov to find your state's contact information.
Typical timelines from inquiry to first placement
The full path from initial inquiry to having a child in your home typically takes four to nine months, though it varies widely by state, agency capacity, and your own scheduling flexibility. Below is a representative breakdown used by many state foster-care recruiters and child welfare professionals. Concurrent steps (training and home study often overlap) can compress the total. Delays usually originate at the background-check stage when records must be requested from out-of-state.
| Step | Typical duration | Most common delay reasons |
|---|---|---|
| Information session to application | 2-6 weeks | Personal scheduling, agency intake load |
| Background checks | 4-12 weeks | Out-of-state records, fingerprinting backlogs |
| Pre-service training (PRIDE, MAPP, or equivalent) | 6-12 weeks | Class cohort scheduling, completion of homework |
| Home study and licensing visit | 4-10 weeks | Caseworker availability, home repairs needed |
| License issuance to first call | Days to weeks | Available children matching your stated profile |
Ranges synthesized from state-published foster-care recruitment materials and the Child Welfare Information Gateway (childwelfare.gov). Your state may move faster or slower.
Worked example: a single working adult, urban county
A 38-year-old single professional in a major urban county attended an online information session in early January, submitted the formal application three weeks later, and completed all required documentation by mid-February. Fingerprinting and background checks took six weeks because one piece of out-of-state employment history required a separate clearance. PRIDE training met on Saturday mornings for ten weeks, starting in March. The home study visit happened in late May, with one follow-up to verify a smoke-alarm replacement. License issued in early June. First placement call — a sibling pair, ages 4 and 7 — arrived on a Tuesday evening in mid-July. Total elapsed time: 28 weeks. The agency was clear throughout that the recruiter prioritizes families willing to accept sibling groups, which moved this household ahead in the matching queue once licensed.
Common application reasons for denial
Outright denials are uncommon — most concerns are addressed by additional documentation or remediation steps. Where denials do happen, they cluster around a small number of causes. Knowing them in advance helps applicants pre-empt problems during the application rather than getting stopped late in the process. Each of these can usually be appealed or revisited after a remediation period, and many states maintain explicit waiver paths for older non-violent records.
- Inadequate income or housing instability — agencies look for stable, demonstrable income, not high income. Documented short-term gaps are usually fine.
- Active substance-use issues — recent positive screens or DUI history within the look-back window (typically 3-5 years).
- Domestic-violence history with co-resident perpetrator — denials focus on current household composition, not historical victimization.
- Specific criminal convictions — federal law (Adam Walsh Act) blocks placement when any household adult has certain convictions; most other records are case-by-case.
- Inability to meet basic-safety standards — usually solvable by remediation (smoke alarms, water heater settings, locked medications).
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic requirements to become a foster parent?
Requirements vary by state but generally include: being at least 18-21 years old, passing a background check, completing pre-service training (typically 6-30 hours), having adequate living space for a child, demonstrating financial stability, and completing a home study. Some states allow single adults, renters, and same-sex couples.
How long does the approval process take?
The approval process typically takes 3-6 months, depending on the state. This includes completing training, a home study, background checks, and processing paperwork. Some states have expedited processes for kinship (relative) caregivers.
Do foster parents get paid?
Foster parents receive a monthly stipend to help cover the cost of caring for a foster child. This is not considered income and varies by state, typically ranging from $400-$1,200 per month per child depending on the child's age and needs. This stipend is meant to cover basic needs, not as compensation.
Can I choose which child I foster?
You can specify preferences such as age range, number of children, and certain special needs. However, you cannot select specific children. The matching process considers the child's needs and your household's capabilities.
What support will I receive as a foster parent?
Foster parents typically receive support from their state's child welfare agency, including a caseworker, respite care, training opportunities, and access to services for the child (medical, mental health, educational). Many counties also have foster parent support groups.
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