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Fostering FAQ
How long does the Koinonia certification process take?
The length of the certification process really depends on you. If you are
conscientious about attending training and completing paperwork, you could
be certified in as little as twelve weeks.
Can I be single and become a Koinonia foster parent?
Yes, although you need to have a certified respite care provider or other
approved supervision.
How old do you have to be to become a foster parent, adoptive parent or
respite care provider?
Foster parents must be at least 21; adoptive parents, 24; and respite care
providers, 18 years of age.
How will fostering affect my birth children?
It can be challenging, but it is usually a rewarding experience. Comments
from other foster parents have been that their birth children learned to
appreciate the life and family that they have as they discovered there are
many children who do not have a healthy family life.
Can I work full-time and be a foster parent?
Yes, although fostering does not always work well if both partners work
full-time and the child spends most of his/her free time in respite or
daycare. Therefore, you should consider the ages of foster children that
you bring into your home so they can be at school while you are at work.
You will need a respite care provider to care for your foster children in
your absence, as foster children require 24-hour supervision.
Do I have a choice of the types and ages of children that come to my home?
You can always request a certain age group and gender; however, the more
narrow the selection, the longer the wait may be for a placement.
Will I meet the child before he/she is placed in my home?
At times we can arrange for a child to come to your home for a few hours,
or even overnight, as part of a "pre-placement visit" to give you and the
child a chance to get to know each other; this is the ideal. However, it is
far more common for the referring county worker to be in a rush and working
with time constraints. Therefore, we will give you all the information we
can get from the worker about the child initially and as it is received. You
may need to make a decision about taking in a child based solely on
information we give you over the phone.
Once certified, is there any on-going training or support available?
Yes, each Koinonia office offers on-going training. There is a minimum of
12 – 20 hours (depending on jurisdiction) of parent training required
annually to retain certification.
How long can the children stay in my home?
The length of stay for a placed foster child will vary depending on the individual
circumstances of the child. It can vary from less than one week to several
years. If the parental rights of a child are terminated and you are willing
to adopt, it could be forever.
Can I adopt the Koinonia foster children placed in my home?
Some children can be placed with the intent to be adopted and many may become
eligible for adoption, if reunification is not successful. Hundreds of
placed foster children have been adopted by their Koinonia foster parents over the
past few years. Koinonia Family Services provides a full range of services,
including adoptive family assessment, counseling and finalization for all
adoptions.
What age children do you commonly get?
At any given time, we can have children of any age or gender referred to us.
It varies by counties and regions. However,
the most common referrals we tend to get from counties are for sibling
groups and teens.
What if I feel I can't handle children with certain issues or disabilities?
Your preferences on age, gender, quantity and other issues will be discussed
at length with your Koinonia social worker when you near the end of the
certification process. The social worker will work with you to try to match
a placement to your family dynamics.
What if there is a placed foster child in my home that I am not able to handle, or
I don't think they are compatible with my family?
If you've thoroughly discussed the situation with the Koinonia social worker
and nothing has changed, we ask the foster parent to give a 7-day
notice in order for us to have time to find another home for the child. For
placements from San Diego County, a 10-day notice is required.
Can my birth child share a room with a placed foster child?
Yes, placed foster children can share a room with your birth children as long as
each child has their own bed. There are to be only two children to each
bedroom and must be the same sex to share a room, unless they are under the
age of five. It is best if the children sharing the room are within a few
years of age.
How many foster children can I have in my home?
The number of foster children you can have depends on bed space and family
dynamics. Typically, Koinonia places two foster children per home. However,
this number may increase depending on the foster parent's experience, and to
meet the need for sibling and teenage placements. You usually cannot have
more than six children, including biological children.
Do I have to own my own home?
No, you do not have to own your home; however, if you are renting, it is
highly recommended that you get the landlord's approval and obtain renter's
insurance.
Can I take my foster children on vacation with me?
In most cases, yes. Overnight and out-of-county stays require your Koinonia
social worker's and county social worker's approval. Out-of-state stays
require court approval.
Where do the children stay until a foster home is available?
The children may be placed in a receiving home or come directly from Child
Protective Services (CPS).
How does Koinonia receive its placements?
The majority of the children we work with are referred to Koinonia by county
social services, child care protective services, adoption services, probation
departments and regional centers. In other words, they are children who have
been removed from their homes due to orphaning, physical or sexual abuse,
abandonment and/or neglect, physical handicaps and/or developmental delays
and need to be placed in a foster home.
What types of needs do the placed foster children have?
These children's needs could include behavioral and emotional challenges or
special medical needs. Some children are orphans whose only need is to find
an adoptive family. Children from juvenile probation have been arrested, but
are not "hard-core" criminal types and will benefit from a caring home
environment.
Do I receive financial assistance for being a Koinonia foster parent?
Yes, you are reimbursed an amount each month which normally covers more than
the expenses incurred to care for the placed foster child. All placed foster children are
eligible for Medi-Cal insurance, which will generally cover their medical
and dental care and specialized counseling, if needed. Foster parents are
not an employee of Koinonia Family Services; according to tax laws they are
considered a "volunteer."
What potential costs does a foster family incur?
What steps do I have to take to be certified with Koinonia?
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