{Foster Care Logo}

 

The Chester County Department of Children, Youth and Families Resource Family Program is to provide temporary foster or kinship care for children, who need out of home placement and may eventually provide permanency for those children, including an adoptive home.  In Chester County a resource parent could be a foster or kinship parent.

 

Foster Care is temporarily caring for a child until his or her parent(s) can resume full responsibility. The goal of foster care is to provide for the physical, emotional and social needs of children in a "substitute" family setting until the child's own family can be reunited. Together the foster parents and the agency work to help children in placement achieve permanence, safety and well-being.

 

Kinship Care is the agency's first consideration for placement if a child needs to be removed from the home.  This is a family or individual who has an existing relationship with the child and/or the child's family.

 

Basic requirements for becoming a foster parent include: 

• Must be at least 25 years of age
• Attend an orientation, pre-service training and have an approved home study completed by our agency
• Background clearances
• A home or apartment that meets basic standards as set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare (DPW)
• An adequate income to support your own family
• Be willing to work in partnership with the caseworker and others in planning for the child