Foster Parent/Family Homes

General Information
Requirements
Where to Begin

North Carolina state law requires that all foster homes be licensed to care for children in their care. These licenses are issued by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. County Departments of Social Services and several private child caring agencies are authorized to work with potential foster parents to assist them with the licensing process and to provide supervision and support for the foster parents.

Requirements for foster families to be licensed include:

1. Potential foster parents must participate in and complete 30 hours of pre-service training provided by the agency. Most county Departments of Social Services and private child caring agencies use a curriculum called MAPP-GPS, or Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting - Group Preparation and Selection. The frequency and times for this training varies from agency to agency.
2. Potential foster parents must complete an application form and family profile.
3. The family's home must receive and pass a fire and safety inspection arranged for by the agency.
4. All foster families must receive and pass an environmental safety check that is arranged for by the agency. If the family's home is not on a public water system, the family's home must receive and pass a water inspection arranged for by the agency.
5. Family members must have a physical examination and a TB skin test.
6. All family members 18 years old and older must be fingerprinted in order for criminal record checks to be conducted locally, through the SBI, and through the FBI.
7. If the potential foster parents are a married couple, they must have been married for at least one year. Single applicants can be licensed as foster parents.
8. To be licensed, foster parents have to be within the ages of 21 and 65.
9. Foster families need to have adequate income to financially support their own family without relying on the foster child's board payment, as the board payment is designed to cover the essentials of room and board for the foster child. Foster parents may work as long as they are able to meet the basic needs of the foster child.
10. The foster home must have a working telephone.
11. The foster family must have access to transportation and be willing and able to provide necessary transportation to meet the needs of the foster child.
12. The foster home must provide each child with their own personal bedroom space.

Where Do I Begin?
First, contact your local County Department of Social Services or a private child
caring agency. Once you contact them they will give additional information on what you need to do.