Who
are the children of Allendale?
Who can be a foster
parent or caregiver?
What do foster parents do?
What kind of training
does a foster parent or caregiver receive?
What kind of support
does Allendale provide to foster parents?
Will I receive financial
help as a foster parent?
Can I pick the child I would like to be involved with?
Once I have a foster
child, can I then adopt him or her?
Am I the right person
for foster care?
Who are the children of
Allendale?
Our young people have special needs.
Most are children who have been removed from their homes because
of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Some have been in a number of
foster homes prior to coming to us. Some have special medical needs.
All have emotional or behavioral issues.
The children generally range in age from 8 to 18.
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Who can be a foster parent
or caregiver?
Foster parents and caregivers are people like you! They are:
| • |
Married or single
|
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Parents
of small children, teens or adults
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| • |
Adults
with no children
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Working
outside the home or in the home
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At least 21 years old
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From various cultural, ethnic and
religious backgrounds
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| • |
Financially stable
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Homeowners or renters
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Able to pass a criminal background
check |
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What do foster parents do?
A foster family provides a home environment in which a child can
safely fulfill his or her physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural
potential and become a responsible adult.
Foster parents are an active part of the child’s treatment
team. They provide food, clothing, housing, supervision, recreation
and all transportation to needed services, such as visits to the
therapist, doctor or dentist. Most of all, foster parents provide
nurturing, stability and love.
For some, foster parenting is a commitment for a few years. For
others it is a lifelong mission to help one child at a time. Most
foster parents say the key to their success is simple: they love
children. They believe that by working together with the therapists
and agency caseworkers, they can help make sure children grow up
in safe, permanent homes.
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What kind of training does a foster
parent or caregiver receive?
Prospective parents attend ten pre-service training sessions and
continue training throughout their time as a foster parent or caregiver.
The licensing process takes three to nine months to complete.
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What kind of support does Allendale
provide to foster parents?
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Weekly supportive visits from a caseworker
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Available
counseling for both the child and the foster family
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Mentoring
to enhance a child’s social and interpersonal functioning
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Respite
care
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24-hour crisis intervention
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Psychiatric services as needed |
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Will I receive financial
help as a foster parent?
Yes. You will receive a monthly stipend.
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Can I pick the child I
would like to be involved with?
Yes. Allendale helps you decide which child will work best with
you and your family.
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Once I have a foster child,
can I then adopt him or her?
The Allendale staff will discuss this option with you up front,
so that you may know the permanency plan for a foster child.
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Am
I the right person for foster care?
Ask yourself:
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Can I love and care for a child who has come from a different
background?
|
| • |
Can
we love a child who, because of fear of rejection, does not
easily love us back?
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| • |
Am
I secure in myself and my parenting skills?
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Can
we set clear limits, and be both firm and understanding in our
discipline?
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Can I love with my heart, without
expectations? |
If you answered "Yes"—or
even "Probably"—there
is a child at Allendale who needs you.
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