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Open your heart and home,
become a foster parent
"If you have a child for one day, a week, a year, or forever, that love that you have given him or her, that one day or one week, will stay with that child for a lifetime."
– NAC foster parent
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| | To become a NAC foster parent:
Call NAC and ask to speak to the Homefinding Department at (646) 352-9047 or (800) 267-6057, or email homefinding@nac-inc.org. |
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What is foster parenting?
- It is providing a home and caring for a child while his or her parent(s) work toward resuming full-time parenting responsibilities.
- It is a commitment to giving a child consistent love, support, and understanding.
- It is helping a child through a tremendously difficult period.
- It is partnering with birth parents.
- It may involve helping a child make the transition back to his or her parents or, when this is not possible, being asked to make a permanent commitment to a child through adoption.
Who are the children needing foster care?
NAC provides comprehensive foster care services for children who are medically fragile, disabled, or chronically ill, and their siblings. Children at NAC can have a wide range of illnesses and disabilities – such as cancer, cerebral palsy, HIV/AIDS, genetic disorders, spina bifida, and respiratory disorders. Some children require wheelchairs or other specialized equipment. In addition, siblings of children with medical challenges may need close attention to their emotional, physical, and intellectual development.
Foster children at NAC are loving, intelligent, inventive, and inspirational. Even though NAC works with children with medical and mental health needs, these needs certainly do not define the children.
Why are children placed into foster care?
Children are separated from their parents and placed into foster care for many reasons, including abuse, neglect or abandonment by a parent; physical or mental illness of a parent; or death of parents.
How does NAC support foster parents?
NAC’s sole mission is to work with children with special medical needs and their families. NAC has developed a far-reaching expertise with this population and seeks to strongly support foster parents as key members of a full team of skilled and dedicated professionals. Some of the specific services NAC provides include:
- 24-hour access to staff;
- On-site medical and mental health clinics, as well as referrals to and coordination with community providers;
- Significant training on caring for children with special needs, including one-on-one training given by medical staff;
- Access to vans for transportation for children with mobility impairments;
- Recreational outings and other events for foster children;
- Educational advocacy on behalf of children;
- Family counseling and support services;
- Financial assistance for apartment enhancements needed to care for specific children;
- Assistance with the adoption process, when appropriate; and
- Post-adoption services.
Foster parents receive a monthly stipend and a clothing allowance for expenses related to caring for a foster child, with additional financial assistance available for children who need special care.
Who can become a NAC foster parent?
NAC recruits mature, committed, loving foster parents. Often these individuals have either worked in the medical field or have managed medical issues in their personal lives. They have the ability to handle medical emergencies and the capacity to learn to use medical technology in order to help foster children stay in a home setting.
Potential foster parents may be single, married, divorced, gay or lesbian, younger (at least 21 years of age) or older, with or without children. Beyond being able to care for a child with medical issues, these adults must be capable of providing an emotionally stable home and necessary housing space for a foster child or children. Bedrooms can be shared with two other children, but each foster child must have his or her own bed or crib and children of the opposite sex can only share a room if they are under seven years of age. There are no specific income requirements, other than that a potential foster parent has a means of support (proof of income).
How long do foster children stay in a foster home?
It depends on the particular child and parent’s situation. Every effort is made to reunite parents and children appropriately; a child may live with a foster parent for a few days or for a year or more. Many foster parents grow close to the children in their care, which can make it difficult when a child leaves. When reunification is not possible, however, adoption by the foster parent may be explored.
How do I become a foster parent?
Step 1: Call the NAC Homefinding Department.
The NAC Homefinding Department can be reached by phone at (646) 352-9047 or (800) 267-6057, or via e-mail at homefinding@nac-inc.org.
Step 2: Attend an Orientation.
You can schedule an orientation during your first call to the Homefinding Department. During the orientation, child welfare professionals will give you an overview of foster care at NAC and answer your questions.
Step 3: Complete the Foster Parenting Application.
At the end of the orientation, you will be given an application to fill out.
Step 4: Have a home study completed.
The home study provides NAC with comprehensive information on your entire family needed to determine whether children can be placed in your home. You and the homefinder will meet several times to complete the home study; various documents must be submitted, such as copies of birth certificates, income tax returns, and medical reports from your physician. Your home will also be inspected to verify that it meets licensing requirements, and, for all of the adults in the home, a check of criminal history and a history of indicated child abuse or neglect will be done. A home study can take up to several months.
Step 5: Complete required training.
While the home study is underway, you will attend an 8 to 10-week, 30-hour Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting (MAPP) training.
Step 6: Become a foster parent.
Upon the successful completion of your home study and training, you will become a certified foster parent.
Step 7: A child is placed in your home.
Once certified, you will begin to receive calls from NAC to place children in your home. If the match is right, the child or children will come to stay with you on either a short-term or long-term basis and a social worker will be assigned to work with the child or children and you.
What are the rewards of foster parenting?
As a foster parent, you will experience the deep fulfillment of knowing that you have...
- Provided a desperately needed home for one or more special children;
- Helped families overcome extremely difficult situations and become stronger;
- Provided the care crucial for a child to grow and develop;
- Given a child a chance for a better life;
- Shared your family’s love; and
- Gained new skills related to child development and medical issues.
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