Therapeutic Foster Care The Children's Shelter Foster Care Program provides children with 24-hour substitute therapeutic family care in private homes. These loving, warm, accepting and stable homes care for children who must be temporarily separated from their permanent home. The Foster Care Program recruits families from diverse backgrounds to fulfill each child's ethnic background. The Program provides training and support for potential parents.
Adoption The Shelter facilitates the adoption of children with special needs by recruiting, training, and representing prospective adoptive families to Child Protective Services in the hopes that the family is "matched" with children awaiting adoption. The Shelter provides support to children and adoptive families during every phase of the adoption process.
Basic requirements for Foster/Adoptive Parents:
Be at least 23 years old
Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
Be financially self-sustaining
Be married, single, divorced or widowed
Consent to a criminal and abuse/neglect background check
Attend and adhere to the agency’s policy on discipline and behavior management
Attend required pre-service training
Complete CPR/First Aid Certification
Be in good emotional and mental health
Pass a fire and health inspection of your home
Have adequate sleeping space
Ready to offer love, care and safety to children in need
Inquiry Meetings are held on a scheduled basis between 9am-5pm, M-F or attend one the evening inquiry meetings held twice a month to answer your questions and provide you with additional information. All families interested in Foster Care and/or Adoption must attend an Inquiry Meeting. To get the next meeting date, please contact The Children’s Shelter. Inquiry Meetings are held at 2939 W. Woodlawn.
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