To apply to be a Children's Choice foster parent please follow the link below to complete an online application. A recruiter will then contact you to arrange a personal meeting.
Or read the information below to learn about becoming a foster parent.

Some agencies will send you out a "packet" of information that tells you a little bit about their agency and includes some paperwork for you to fill out and return. This may be your first contact with the agency. This is not the way Children's Choice does things. Being a foster parent ("resource parent" in Children's Choice lingo) is a very personal experience, and we want your experience with our agency to reflect that. Therefore, we would much rather have your first impression, your first experience with us, to also be personal, and so would prefer to meet with you in your home within 24-48 hours of your first contact with us, if at all possible. That way, we can begin to get to know you, answer any questions you may have, and begin to show you the personal care that we are known for right from the start.

What you can expect from the Home Study (Recruitment) Process

CLICK HERE for a list of requirements (.pdf)

The process often begins with some sort of a referral. Ideally, you would have heard about us from someone you know, perhaps a co-worker, friend, neighbor, or loved one who is already working with our agency. What follows is a phone call in which we learn a little bit more about you, and then the appointment in your home mentioned above.

During this first visit, the Home Study Worker that is assigned to your area begins the Home Study process itself. Usually this involves an initial interview, some time for you to have any questions answered, a safety inspection of your home to be sure that it is safe for children (click here for a list of requirements that we look for), and some initial paperwork (including our application).

At that time we will also send off criminal background and child abuse clearances for every person 18 or older living in your home, each of which requires a $10 money order (so 2 per person 18 or older).

After this initial visit by your Home Study Worker, you (and your spouse, if applicable) will be asked to get a physical exam and to complete our Pre-Service trainings, which are held on two consecutive Saturdays from 9-5, usually the 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month.

Once you have done this and have taken care of any issues that may have arisen during the safety inspection of your home (most people have a few things they need to take care of, such as getting a carbon monoxide detector or a "911 emergency" sticker for their phone), your Home Study Worker will schedule a second appointment with you, during which the safety inspection will be re-checked, if necessary, and any remaining paperwork will be completed, including a thorough review of all Children's Choice policies.

Afterwards, your Home Study Worker will pass your information on to the Program Coordinator of the Children's Choice office that is closest to you, who will schedule one appointment with you to get to know your family a little bit better, do a second (and more in-depth) interview, and finally complete the Home Study Process and officially "open" your home so that you can begin receiving children.

The entire process can be as short as one month or last as long as several months, depending on how motivated you are to complete everything in a timely manner. Of course, the reason for doing all of this is to help children in need, and so your Home Study Worker will shepherd you through the process and do everything possible to help you complete it in a timely manner.