Foster Parent FAQs

What is foster care?

Foster care provides a nurturing environment for children and youth who have endured the heartbreaking experience of being separated from their primary families. Whether through voluntary or involuntary circumstances, young individuals find themselves in need of a haven. The goal of foster care is to offer a temporary home, with the common objective of reunification with their primary families. This process demands unwavering empathy, patience, and a deep commitment to the well-being of children and youth, ensuring they feel valued and cared for during their transition.

A foster parent’s role is to provide a safe, nurturing, and stable environment for those we serve until they are successfully reunified, adopted in foster care, or are old enough to live independently.

Why does NYAP focus on enhanced foster care?

Enhanced foster care, sometimes referred to as treatment or therapeutic foster care, serves children and youth facing emotional, behavioral, or medical challenges, including depression, anxiety, aggression, or disabilities. The National Youth Advocate Program is committed to providing enhanced foster care services for children and youth whose needs often exceed the capacity of traditional foster care settings or other agencies.

We meet this need through intentional foster parent recruitment and support, seeking compassionate individuals with the experience, skills, and commitment to care for children and youth with complex needs. By equipping foster parents with specialized training and ongoing support, we help create nurturing, temporary environments where children and youth can heal and succeed.

What are some benefits of being a foster parent?

As a foster parent, you are empowered with the unique ability to bring safety and stability to children or youth who have been removed from their homes. The space to heal and grow in your home is critical to their well-being and eventual return home. Besides the opportunity to positively change the life of a child or youth, additional benefits of foster parenting are:

• High-Quality Training‍ ‍-  Meet regularly with your NYAP team of professionals 

• Comprehensive Support – Help from caring professionals is always available 

• Convenient Licensing Process - We will work around your schedule  

• Monthly Stipend - For the care of children and youth living in your home 

How can I connect with and support each child or youth’s primary family?

At the heart of our approach is a strong belief in the power of family. Whenever possible, we engage primary families as essential partners in their child or youth’s care.

Foster parents play an important role by supporting family connections—this may include things like helping with transportation to visits when appropriate and always speaking about a child’s family in a respectful, strengths-based way. At the same time, we partner with primary families to address the challenges that led to separation and support their progress.

We also encourage ongoing positive relationships between foster and primary families. When appropriate, foster parents can offer encouragement, share experiences, provide respite after reunification, and serve as mentors. These connections help reduce trauma, strengthen relationships, and support successful reunification whenever it’s safe and possible.

What are my financial responsibilities as a foster parent?

Based on the identified needs of each child or youth placed in your home, foster parents receive regular support payments designed to cover their basic needs. This includes a portion of their food, housing, and utility expenses as well as medical expenses, local transportation, basic school and hygiene supplies, some clothing, general and family recreation activities, and their allowance.

In foster care, it is critical that children and youth in your care receive and participate in all typical daily activities to ensure they experience a sense of family and belonging.

How are children and youth selected for my home?

It’s a team effort. We take the time to listen to you and will make placements based on the best interests of the children and youth referred for foster care and your family's identified preferences. We carefully review and match children and youth to foster parents based on a thorough home study review process, personal preferences, the age of the child or youth, and other children in your home, along with each foster child or youth’s unique needs. We take a collaborative approach in finding the child or youth who fits best with your family.

How long does it take to get licensed?

Most foster families can complete the licensing process within 45 – 60 days from the date of application.

How long does a child or youth typically stay in my home?

The length of time a child or youth live in your home varies considerably. Some stay only a few days, others for a year or longer. Our overall goal is to reunify or otherwise establish a safe and stable independent living arrangement in collaboration with family court, and the children, youth, and families we serve. As wonderful as your home is, it is extremely difficult for children and youth to live in foster care. Our goal at NYAP is to ensure we communicate the permanency plan for each child or youth with you in a timely manner and to keep you informed on all developments related to their placement status.

What are the qualifications to become a foster parent?

Each state has slightly different foster care requirements.

How does NYAP help me care for children and youth at an enhanced foster care level?

We provide a continuum of care that ensures the best possible outcome for children and youth experiencing foster care. Our services are trauma-responsive and grounded in evidence-based and informed practices. They are designed to support placement stability, and ensure foster parents feel valued and part of a larger team as they partner with us to serve children and youth.

To learn more about the services we offer, please look at the states we serve.