Starting The Foster Parenting Journey
There are more and more parents that are taking the route of being a foster parent. As much as it is the dream of many, it is not an easy journey. You have to choose the right foster care agency in order to land with the right kid. There are some agencies that will give you a headache and make your foster parenting journey hard. Some of the things to keep in mind when looking for a foster care agency include:
Responsiveness
Once you engage with a foster care agency, you will probably engage with them a lot of times and thus you need an agency that is as responsive as possible. There are agencies that will give you more support than others. You can assess how they handle you before you join them. Did they respond to your calls promptly? Do they reply to their emails in a timely manner? Are they easily accessible? Those are some of the questions that you should ask yourself prior.
Individual attention
You would want an agency that will give you enough attention so that they deal with you individually. If it is a big agency, it should allocate someone who tends to you. You can judge the kind of attention that you will be given by checking the amount of time they will spend with you. They should also allocate you a professional counselor since it is a big decision to make.
Visit the agency
As much as the website may be appealing or the brochures, it may not be the reality on the ground as many people are good at presenting their image. They may give an image that does not represent the true version of them. Taking a personal tour of the agency will give you the true picture of the agency. It can give you the feel of the agency, the atmosphere, the number of staffs to kid’s ratio, the kind of support groups they have, and the cleanliness among many other things. You can also judge if people are happy there and if there are enough facilities for those in the agencies.
Programs, activities, and opportunities for the children
How the kids are involved has a large bearing on how they will finally turn out to be. They are the ones that determine how the kids connect. Most of the time the clubs, programs, and activities will influence how the kids connect and socialize with others. The more they have, the better it will be for you. There should be as many social opportunities as possible.
Support group
A good agency should be able to have a solid support system. It should be able to offer as much support as possible. It should have on-site childcare. It should also be able to give assistance and encouragement. There should be a support system for foster parents such as there are opportunities for foster parents to get together and connect. An updated website says a lot about the agency.…