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A resource parent is an individual or family that has been trained, licensed, and approved by a child welfare agency to provide a temporary home for children who cannot live with their biological families due to various reasons such as abuse, neglect, or parental incapacity.
Resource parents play a crucial role in providing a safe and stable environment for children in need. These individuals or families undergo a screening process, including background checks, training, and home evaluations, to ensure that they can provide a supportive and nurturing environment for the children placed in their care.
The goal of placing children with resource parents is often to provide them with a stable and loving home while efforts are made to reunite them with their biological families or find a permanent placement solution, such as adoption. Resource parents work closely with social workers to meet the emotional, physical, and developmental needs of the children in their care.
Resource Families encompass a diverse range of individuals, including relatives, extended family members, and non-relatives. A resource family or parent may be single, married, divorced, or living with a partner, and they can belong to any race, ethnicity, religion, or culture. To be eligible for fostering or adoption through the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), one must be a resident of Los Angeles County, at least 18 years old, and successfully complete the Resource Family approval process. Additionally, individuals have the option to foster or adopt through a Foster Family Agency.
Currently, there are over 400,000 foster youth nationwide, with nearly 56,000 in California alone. By the age of 24, approximately half of these foster youth will secure stable employment, but an alarming 50 percent are estimated to grapple with substance abuse issues. By the age of 26, only 4 percent of former foster youth will have attained a bachelor’s degree, and less than 25 percent will have even entered college.
These statistics, unfortunately, only scratch the surface. By becoming a Resource Parent, you have the opportunity to offer a safe, stable, and nurturing home to youth in need, potentially making a significant impact on their lives.
After attending an orientation conducted by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and submitting the necessary application, families from the community interested in fostering but not related to the child are eligible for training.
To prepare for the placement of a child in your home, you are required to undergo 20 hours of training, divided into two components:
Additionally, on an annual basis, resource families are obligated to complete:
Annual Renewal Training (8 hours), also known as "Post-Approval Training." This training serves as a continuing education opportunity for resource families. For more information go to www.FosterLAKids.com or call (888) 811-1121.
Numerous resource parents maintain employment or have other commitments beyond their homes, and successfully manage the demands of both work and family responsibilities. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) embraces working parents and offers subsidized childcare support.
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