More Info

Become a Foster or Adoptive Parent

If you would like to learn more about how to begin the process to become a foster and/or adoptive parent in Arizona, please call 1-877-KIDS-NEED-U. You can also attend one of our monthly informational meetings. Meetings are held twice monthly on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month. See the 2012 schedule for locations and times.

Licensing Requirement to Foster or Adopt

– Must be at least 21 years of age

– May be single, married, or co-habitating

– Must demonstrate financial stability

– Everyone 18+ will be must submit a Criminal History Self-Disclosure and submit fingerprints to Department of Public Safety

– Everyone 18+ must submit a physician’s statement.

– Must provide the names of five personal references

– Must complete a 30 hour pre-service education training.

– The applicant’s home will be inspected by Office of Licensing, Certification, and Regulation.  Each child must have a bed and dresser or closet space.  6 and under male and female may share a bedroom after 6 same gender can share a room.  Children 8+ can sleep on the top bunk bed.

– A minimum of two home visits will be made to complete the home study process….of three home visits.

– Will undergo a Child Protective Services/Adult Protective Services background check.

Children Don’t Expire Campaign – A F.A.C.T. Initiative

Children don’t ever “expire” from the need for a forever family; no matter their age, they still need a family. Help us in our efforts to find families for foster children. More info to come…

KIDS NEED U Campaign – An Arizona Department of Economic Security Initiative

WILL YOU PROVIDE A HOME FOR A CHILD?

The very best place for a child to be is in a family.  Unfortunately, there are many children who cannot safely live with their parents.  When relatives and kin are unable to provide a temporary home for these children, foster parents become the temporary family for them!  Sometimes children are unable to return home and live safely with their parents. Adoptive parents become the permanent family for many of these children.

Fostering and adopting children who were the unfortunate victims of child abuse or neglect is very rewarding, very challenging, and will change your life! You’ll be pleased to know that many friends and relatives will totally support you in your decision, while others may think that you’ve lost your mind!

You will rejoice when you see a child’s face gleaming with a beautiful smile that once came to you with a frown of sadness.  You may also cry when you see setbacks in the child’s behavior, or feel anxious and uncertain because you are not sure of his or her future.

One thing is for certain: “YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE —ONE CHILD AT A TIME!”

The children who need temporary and permanent families are teenagers, toddlers and infants. Some are siblings who want to stay together. The children are of many races and ethnicities. Many children have special behavioral and medical needs.

In Arizona as of March 30, 2010, there were 10,207 children who were placed in out-of-home care due to abuse, neglect or abandonment. Of these, 8,437 children or 82.6 percent were placed in family settings either with relatives or in foster homes.

Who are the children?
Of the 10,207 children in out-of-home care on March 31, 2010, 2,411 or 23.6 percent had a case plan goal of adoption. The majority of those children, 46.9 percent, are in the 1-5 year old age range, followed by 19.3 percent in the 9-12 year old age range, and 18.5 percent in the 6-8 year old age range. The remaining children, 368 or 15.3 percent, fall within the under one or 13 and over age range.

The majority of these children are Caucasian (940 or 39.0 percent), Hispanic (929 or 38.5 percent), or African American (326 or 13.5 percent). The remaining 216 children or 9.0 percent are American Indian, Asian or other.

Eighty-seven percent, or 2,098 of the children free for adoption, are currently placed in their adoptive homes.  About 70 percent of children are adopted by their relatives or their foster parents and are already in their prospective adoptive placement at the time the case plan goal changes to adoption.

For more information, visit: https://www.azdes.gov/main.aspx?menu=102&id=1242

Or call: 1-877-KIDS-NEED-U

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Regular Foster Care?

Foster care is temporary care for children who have been removed from their own home by Child Protective Services as a result of an investigation for physical or sexual abuse or neglect. Family reunification or placement with a relative is always the primary goal.

What do Foster Parents do?

Many foster parents responsibilities will closely resemble those of any parent providing day-to-day supervision and support for children in a stable and loving home environment. And yet, foster parenting is different than parenting your own child. Some foster parents refer to their role as “parenting plus” or “conscious parenting.”

What about the children?

Foster parents, of course, will decide what sex and age range of children they can best provide and care for, as well as what types of problems or special needs they can or cannot deal with. Foster parents also have the right to accept or reject any child offered for placement.