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Becoming a Resource/Foster Parent - Department of Social Services
Foster Parenting Q and A Page
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is foster parenting?
Foster parenting is accepting a child into your care who might have been abused or neglected or who might need a temporary home. The foster parent is a temporary caregiver for a child whose goal is to return home or to be placed with a relative. A foster parent works with a team of people (the social worker, therapist, teachers, and the child's family, to name a few) to assist this child. Being a foster parent is both rewarding and challenging.
Who can be a foster parent?
- Married or single
- 21 years of age or older
- Have enough income to meet their own expenses
- Able to provide a safe, healthy home with enough space for a child
- Willing to be a part of a team with the agency, child's family, schools, and others
- Willing to attend pre-service training and ongoing training
- No history of involvement with Social Services
- No criminal record
- Have a working telephone and transportation and be willing to take child to appointments
What are the rewards?
- Being able to experience the joy and importance of providing a stable and caring environment for a child
- Helping a child feel safe and secure
- Helping a child's self-esteem
- Becoming a part of a professional team whose goal is to provide support and care to vulnerable children
What are the challenges?
- Knowing that being a foster parent is temporary and that saying good-bye is not always easy
- Working with birth parents toward returning the child home
- Helping recruit other families willing to foster children
- Knowing that your life and your family's life might need to be rearranged to accommodate the needs of the foster child
- Realizing that being a foster parent is a big step for you and your family
What is the Approval Process?
Each Applicant Must:
- Complete training
- Complete FBI and Child Protective Services checks
- Provide current TB tests
- Provide two references
- Complete a home study
How can I be a foster parent for Newport News Department of Social Services?
- Call the Foster parent Recruiter/Trainer at: (757) 926-6597
- Email the Foster Parent Recruiter/Trainer at: ldb700@dss.state.va.us
- Additional links at the Virginia Department of Social Services
