Lorain County Foster Care: What You Need

When we began looking into foster care, I jumped online and found a ton of information. Some of it conflicting. Some of it only pertaining to specific states or regions. So, I thought I'd type up a post of what is needed to become a licensed foster parent and foster-to-adopt in Lorain County, Ohio. 

1.) You and you spouse/partner must take 36 hours of training classes, they are offered quarterly in Lorain county and the current class schedule can be found here.  

2.) You must undergo a home study, which takes 3-6 months, and a lot of paperwork.

To gather on your own (and make copies): 
- Five year proof of residency for each person applying as a foster parent
- Four references, only one can be a family member. They do not need to write a letter.
- Professional references for any job/volunteering that involved children.
- Marriage verification (if applicable).
- Divorce verification (if applicable).
- Child support order and compliance (if applicable).
- Proof of legal residence for all household members (ie. a birth certificate).
-Military discharge papers (if applicable).
- Veterinary records for all pets, must be current.
- Landlord permission letter if renting.
- Proof of Auto Insurance.
- Copy of driver's license for all drivers in the household.
- Copy of homeowners/renters insurance policy.
- Picture of the family (current).
- Utility bills dated within 6 months of licensing (gas, water, electric, sewage, phone).
- W-2 or Income Tax Return for most recent year for each applicant.
- Pay stubs for a two month period, dated within 6 months of licensing.

To get from the home study assessor and then do:
- Individual questionnaire
- Child characteristic checklist (for example, would you be willing to consider accepting a child that steals?)
- Evacuation plan for each floor of the home.
- Disaster plan.
- W-9's.
- Financial Form
- Car seat information/letter

Things to do: 
- Be fingerprinted and background checked by LCCS
- Medicals on each person in the home to sign off that all are healthy.
- TB test on everyone age 14 or older.
- Fire inspection by local fire department.
- Drug tests for everyone age 14 or older.
- Get fire extinguisher/ smoke detectors as required by fire department.
- Put all medications in a lock box.
- Have the room prepared for inspection
- If you are accepting children 0-2, have the crib already set up to be inspected. 

Others pieces of the puzzle: 
- Prepare for an individual interview with the homestudy assessor.
- Be prepared to make changes to the house as needed.
- Provide the names of three alternative caregivers that will have to be fingerprinted and go through a basic home inspection in order to be allowed to babysit your foster children.
- Expect 4-6 home visits with the homestudy assessor, one of which will be a surprise visit, and expect the visits to last 1.5-3 hours.

As we continue going through the process I may update this, or have more posts! But we've had people ask us what is needed and required, and this is a pretty solid place to start.