Foster Parenting

Foster care is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is about opening your home and your heart to a child who is not safe in their home due to abuse, neglect or dependency. These children need a temporary, safe and nurturing environment where they can thrive while their parents take the necessary steps to ensure the child's safety and wellbeing.  Foster care is intended as a temporary solution.  The primary goal of foster care is to reunite families.  When this outcome is not possible, foster parents help prepare the child for adoption.

Foster parents are need to provide temporary homes and care for children who are unable to live in their own homes due to substantial risk of abuse or neglect.  Foster children range in age from birth to 18, and in some cases up to the age of 21.

Foster parents serve an important role in each child's life.  There continues to be a need for additional foster parents in Union County.  Too often, children have to be placed in a foster home outside of Union County, making it increasingly difficult for social workers to provide services to the child, foster family, and birth family.  Union County foster children are placed only in homes certified by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. 

Foster parenting is rewarding, life-changing, heartbreaking and joyful.  Are you ready for this adventure?

• You must be over the age of 18
• You can be married, single or divorced
• You do not have to have other children
• You can own or rent your home or apartment

For more details, visit Becoming a Foster Parent.

• Meeting with an assessor from Union County Children Services to help you decide if foster parenting is a good plan for your family
• Completing an application and a medical form for each member of your family
• Fingerprinting each applicant as part of a legally-required criminal background check
• Presenting references from people who know you and have an opinion on your ability to be a foster parent
• Attend training classes to help prepare you to serve as a foster parent

The initial licensing and training process can take up to six months.

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, please call 937.644.1010

• Mileage form
• Billing Sheet/Invoice
• Incident Report
• Out of State Travel Form

Medical Forms:

• 2-Day Screening
• 30-Day Physical
• Annual Physical
• Dental
• Optical