Foster Care
Foster care is temporary care for children whose immediate family cannot care for them.
Foster parents may be relatives or others who:
- Are at least 21 years old
- Are married, single or living with a partner
- Have enough income to meet their family’s needs
- Can provide each child with his/her own bed
Become a Foster Parent
We are always looking for qualified foster parents to help care for some of Westchester’s most vulnerable children.
We welcome adults of all:
- Backgrounds
- Ages
- Income levels
- Marital status
There is a:
- Screening process
- Mandated requirements
- Training
We understand that it is a big commitment, but we ask that you consider learning more.
Call for More Information:
If you're curious about becoming a foster parent, we invite you to reach out to us by phone:
- (914) 693-0600 EXT. 4659
- (914) 564 -6135
Foster Parent Approval Process
To get started becoming a foster parent, you will need to:
- Attend an orientation session
- Attend our training classes
- Participate in a home study
- Complete an application, a child abuse clearance form and some other paperwork
- Provide personal references and current medical reports
A home study usually consists of a series of interviews between a family and a social worker to help applicants think through their ability to foster a child with “special needs.”
It is important that people considering foster care be stable, sensitive, patient and capable of giving a child love and understanding.
Social workers want to be sure that a person or couple have a realistic understanding of the commitment they take on when they become foster parents and that they can provide a safe and nurturing environment for a child in their home.
Applicants are asked to provide written information about themselves and their life experiences.
Yes, because you are both being certified to provide foster care.
Frequently Asked Questions
A foster parent should be someone who:
- Wants to make a difference in the life of a child
- Can make room in their home and heart for children who need temporary care
- Is flexible and capable of handling stressful situations
- Can work as a member of a team with social workers and other professionals
- Can help prepare a child for return to their birth family or to be adopted
You can apply to become a foster parent if you:
- Are at least 21 years old. There is no upper age limit
- Are married, single or living with a partner
- Have sufficient income to meet your own family’s needs
- Are able to provide each child with his/her own bed, although children can share a bedroom
- Foster children represent all ethnic groups and may be infants through teenagers
- When brothers and sisters come into care, we try to place them together
- Some children may have handicapping conditions and need special care
- Teenage mothers also need homes for themselves and their children
Foster parents receive a monthly care allowance to feed, clothe and meet the material needs of the children placed in their care.
Yes, as long as you provide adequate child care arrangements while you are at work. Westchester County pays for day care services directly to the day care provider.
No, however, you must demonstrate you have housing stability.
Yes. You and your Foster Home Resource worker will work together to determine what types of children will best fit into your home.
You can care for up to six children, which include your own children under the age of 13, and no more than two children under the age of two. You and your home finder together will determine how many children you will be certified to foster parent.
Westchester County provides a pediatric clinic in White Plains. Additionally, all children in foster care qualify for Medicaid.