Indiana

While foster parents are just as unique as the children and youth they care for, the most important qualifications to become a foster parent include the ability to provide a safe, loving, and nurturing home.

Foster parents may be single, married, or cohabitating couples. Prospective foster parents must be willing to participate in an in-depth home study process and work collaboratively with the licensing team to demonstrate they are:

• In good physical and mental health.

• Financially able to support their household without the reimbursement from being a foster parent.

• Able to provide adequate physical space in their home to ensure a child or youth's privacy and comfort.

• Able to provide positive references.

• Willing to complete background checks.

• Willing to engage in pre-service training.

• Willing to work with multiple NYAP team members including educators, therapists, foster care case managers, and medical professionals.


National Youth Advocate Program in Indiana deeply values and is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and seeks and welcomes a diverse community of foster parents.

Additional state qualifications:

• At least 21 years old.

• Provide a driving record

• Provide at least four positive references.

• Provide at least 50 sq. ft. of bedroom space for each child or youth placed.

• Household members aged 6 and up residing in the foster home for 21 days or more within a 12 month period must pass a central registry check.

• Household members aged 18 and up must complete local background checks for everywhere they have resided within the past 5 years.

• Unmarried, cohabitating couples must have lived together for one year.