Foster Care Licensing

Children come into foster care through no fault of their own.  They come into care because their parents are not able to safely care for them, not because of something they have done.

• You can be single, married, or in a relationship
• You must be at least 21 years old.
• All adults in your household must pass a FBI and local criminal background check and have a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card issued by the Department of Public Safety. If denied, you can email for Good Cause.

• Successfully complete training.  Foster parent pre-service training consists of 12 online courses that can be completed in the comfort of your own home and 15 hours of in-class instruction. 
• Be medically qualified by a health professional.  You will receive the Physician Statement form that will need to be completed by a doctor, physician’s assistant or nurse practitioner. 
• You must be able to meet your living expenses.  Foster parents tell us that they frequently have to pay for things like clothes and wait to be reimbursed by the State.  And even then, the reimbursement may not cover all the costs. 
• Participate in an home study interview.  We will write your foster care and adoption home study.  We will ask you very personal questions about your past and current relationships in order to assess your ability to parent children who have experienced trauma.  It’s important for you to answer openly and honestly. 
• Pass a home safety inspection.  The Life Safety Inspection (LSI) is a vital part of the licensing process.  DCS has to guarantee the situation in which children are placed is safe. You can review the LSI Preparation Guide and Pool Guide under First Steps.
• Be lawfully present in the U.S.  “Lawfully present” means that you are a United States citizen or national or an alien authorized by an appropriate federal entity or court to be present in the United States.