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What makes a good foster parent? |
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Someone who likes children and enjoys the challenges they present; a person who wants to be a part of the bigger picture and help out their community. Basically, it’s a caring person who can give love to a child who is not their own.
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Q. |
I work and have two children of my own. Would I be able to foster? |
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Yes, foster parents can be people who work or stay at home. You just need to be sure you have a back up person to pick up the children before and/or after school, etc.
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Q. |
I live in an apartment. Can I be a foster parent? |
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Yes, if you have enough room in your apartment or house and pass all the other requirements you can be a foster parent. State regulations allow only two children to a bedroom and that includes your own children too.
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Q. |
I am interested in adopting a child. Can you help me? |
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Yes, Ettie Lee is an adoption and a foster care agency. Firstly, we strive to reunite children with their birth families. However, if that plan does not work out we can assist you with the adoption of your foster child.
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Q. |
I am a single mom and work full time; can I still be a foster parent? |
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Yes. It doesn’t matter if you are single or married as long as you have room in your home and pass licensing requirements. You may need to make child-care arrangements for after-school, etc. Foster children cannot stay alone at home. They need to be supervised by an adult who is fingerprinted.
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Q. |
Where do the children who need foster care come from? |
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Children enter foster are after a court hearing as a result of abuse, neglect abandonment or death in the family.
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What ages are the children in foster care? Can I get the age I want for my home? |
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We place boys and girls from infancy to seventeen years of age. We try to honor the age and/or gender you feel would work best with your family.
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Q. |
What happens to brothers and sisters who need foster homes? |
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In order to prevent the children from experiencing any more unnecessary trauma every effort is made by us to keep siblings together. We are always looking for foster homes that can take more than one child.
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Who pays for the foster child’s medical and dental bills? |
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All foster children receive Medi-Cal insurance. Our social workers refer our foster parents to appropriate providers for medical, dental and therapeutic health services. |