Becoming a Respite Foster Care Parent

What is Respite Foster Care?

Respite Foster Care is short-term foster care arrangement that allows the primary foster parent to take a break while a licensed foster parent provides care for the foster child.  Respite care can be provided on a regular or irregular basis and for various lengths of time.  It can be a good option for people who want to get involved in foster care but aren’t able to commit to full-time care.  Respite families receive training and support just like foster families.  The first step to become a DFS respite foster parent is to attend a 3-hour information session which will provide an overview of foster care, important information regarding the process, and connect you with the next step in the process.

Private Foster Care Agencies

DFS also contracts with community organizations who license foster families. Below you will find a list of Delaware’s private foster care agencies. We all work together to serve Delaware’s children. Please feel free to call any of the private foster care agencies for more information on their programs.

• A Better Chance for Our Children
• Child Inc.
• Children and Families First
• Children’s Choice
• Pressley Ridge
• Progressive Life Center

Foster Parent Requirements

• Can be single, married, divorced or widowed
• Rent or own their home
• Are at least 21 years of age
• Attend a 3-hour Information Session
• Participate in 27 hours of pre-service training
• Pass a criminal background check and fingerprint screening
• Are of all races and religions
• Pass home, health, and safety studies
• Are economically stable
• Provide references

Foster Parent Supports

• Foster Home Coordinators
  A Foster Home Coordinator is assigned to each foster family to help coordinate services. The coordinator is available to foster parents to offer resources, advice, and guidance in the foster care process.
• Respite Care
  Respite care provides foster parents occasional relief from the daily demands of caring for children in foster care. This relief time affords foster parents the opportunity to attend to the needs of their own family.
• Community Connections
  There are multiple opportunities each year for foster families to connect with other foster families in their area for support through training, recognition, and holiday celebration events. Additionally, DFS partners with several community organizations that support Delaware Foster Families, such as Foster Well and the YMCA. There are also two independent Foster Parent Associations in Delaware.
• Foster Parent Support Program
  Provides one on one support to foster parents and families to address concerns and prevent placement disruptions through the development of Individualized Support Plans (ISP).  Individualized Support Plans are designed to strengthen parenting skills, improve relationships with youth, develop community connections and natural supports, and coordinate services.  The Foster Parent Support Program helps problem solve barriers to maintain youth in the foster home such as supervision, childcare, or mental health concerns.

Foster Parent Responsibilities

Foster Parents

• Participate as a member of the child protection team
• Meet developmental needs of children in care
• Provide safety, well-being, and placement stability
• Work effectively with primary families to promote reunification
• Promote lifelong connections and permanency

Foster Families

• Care about children who have abused, neglected, or abandoned…and who have gone through the pain of separation from their families. Foster parents give children the support they need to grow physically, emotionally, educationally, and socially.
• Care about the families of children in care whose parents are overburdened and may have problems with addictions, parenting skills, relationships, or legal difficulties. Foster families respect the bonds between children and their parents and siblings. Often foster parents become role models and supports for birth parents while they struggle to make changes in their lives so they can be reunited with their children.
• Care about the right of every child to belong to a family who loves them and keeps them safe. Foster parents participate as team members with social workers and counselors to plan for the child’s return to their biological family… or when that is not possible… to plan for the child to move onto adoption or another permanent living arrangement.