If you've heard about our Refugee Foster Care program, you might be wondering what it looks like for a person or family to become licensed and welcome refugee youth into their home. Today, we're telling you exactly what that process looks like.
Inquiry
A person or family inquires through the CCS website or by emailing the Refugee Foster Care Recruiter. The recruiter will introduce themselves and send an invitation to the monthly information meeting, occurring on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM.
Attend Information Meeting
The Information Meeting provides background on Catholic Community Services, the Refugee Foster Care program, what it means to be an unaccompanied refugee minor, the situations of our youth, and the various levels of involvement in foster care. The meeting will also allow time for any questions the attendees may have.
Fill Out Application
After attending an Information Meeting, if a person or family is interested in fostering refugee youth, they reach out to the Refugee Foster Care recruiter to sign up for the next training. They then complete an application that includes basic information about the family. Once the application is complete, they are fully registered for the training.
Self-Guided Lessons
The next step is to complete the self-guided lessons and meet The Refugee Foster Care Trainer, who will lead them through the training and licensing process. Self-guided lessons cover an introduction to foster care, professional parenting, and child development.
Turn in Paperwork
While waiting for the training to start, the family completes and turns in their paperwork. This paperwork includes background checks, a doctor’s checkup, and a TB test.
Family Attends Training
Training typically lasts 6 weeks with meetings being twice a week for two and a half hours. There are 9 topics covered including:
- A Look at Culture
- Developing Healthy Relationships
- Therapeutic Communication
- Understanding Behavior
- Changing Behavior
- Skill Teaching
- Conflict Resolution
- Understanding and Managing Crisis
- Policies and Procedures
Home Study / Safety Inspection
After the training, homework, and paperwork are completed, the next step is a home study. This is a three-hour appointment in your home that requires all household members to be present. It includes interviews with household members and a Home Safety Inspection.
Become a licensed foster parent!
Once you are a licensed foster parent, you will be assigned a Family Consultant that will be your advocate for the rest of your fostering journey. They will be asking you about which respite and placement options are a good fit for your family. Once you receive a placement, your Family Consultant will visit you once a month to provide ongoing support and connect you to resources.
If you have questions or are interested in becoming a refugee foster parent, please contact our Refugee Foster Care Recruiter, Mickinley at .