Foster Care Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

I have children of my own. Can I still be a foster or adoptive parent?

Yes! As a foster parent, you can have up to five children living in your home, including your own.

Can I foster or adopt a sibling group?

Yes! Family connections are important. We attempt to keep siblings together.

Can I choose the age, gender, or religion of the foster child?

Yes. Before you become a foster parent, we will discuss at length details and the ages that will fit best into your family. When we ask you to take a child, we will tell you as much as we know about the child. You will decide then if this is a child you can care for. It is better to tell us “no” if you don’t think you can care for the child than for the child to be moved from foster home to foster home. We are most in need of homes that are willing to take teenagers, children with special needs, and children with complex medical issues.

Do foster families ever adopt the foster children in their home?

Yes. Every year several children in foster care in Delaware who become legally free for adoption are adopted by their foster parents. Foster parents must recognize that the best place for most children is with their own families. Most children want above all else to be with their own families. Foster parents must truly commit themselves to working with the agency to support and encourage birth parents to resolve issues so the children can be reunified with their families. When birth parents do not resolve their problems and Family Court terminates the parents’ parental rights, foster parents often ask to be considered to become the child’s adoptive parents. If foster parents do not adopt the child, foster parents help the child make a successful transition to an adoptive family.

Do foster parents get paid?

No, foster parents do not get paid, however, they receive a non-taxable stipend to care for each child placed in their home. The stipend is to assist them in the care of the child. The range of the stipend can be anywhere from $20 to $55 per day for each child, based on the age of the child, his/her needs, the foster parent’s skills, training, and level of service they agree to provide. Additionally, Medicaid is provided to cover a child’s medical, dental, and counseling needs.