Frequently asked Questions about Fostering
Becoming a foster parent is a 7-step process:
Step 1: Initial Contact – Submit a Foster Parent Inquiry to express your interest in becoming a foster parent.
Step 2: Orientation Meeting – Attend a meeting to get an overview of foster parenting.
Step 3: Background Checks – Pass a Child Protective Services Clearance background check.
Step 4: The Home Visit – Complete an initial home walk-through safety check.
Step 4: Impact Pre-Service Training Classes – Attend 24 hours of IMPACT training.
Step 5: Mutual Assessment & Home Study – Complete home visits, interviews, and mandatory CPR/FIRST AID training.
Step 6: Final Safety Inspection – Complete a final home walk-through safety check. Bloom will submit the home study to the Office of Provider Management for final approval.
Step 7: Placement – Receive a foster child placement.
Stability. Patience. Ability to nurture. Maturity. Commitment. Dependability. Flexibility. Sense of Humor. Enjoys children and is an advocate for them. Willingness to be a team player by working with assigned Family Consultants, birth parents, and community service providers.
Children referred to Bloom have been removed from their homes by the Department of Family and Children’s Services due to abuse or neglect and need temporary substitute homes. These children come from all socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. They range in age from infancy to age 21. A child’s average length of time in foster care is one year and seven months. Most children will return to their birth families, though some remain in foster care throughout their teen years. If a foster child becomes available for adoption, foster parents may apply to adopt the child or children.
Yes, foster parents are given an amount each month to defray the cost of caring for each child they foster. The exact rate is based on the age and needs of a child. We are glad to share the details of payments and other support through Bloom in an initial inquiry session.
Teenagers & Sibling groups. Therapeutic children under the age of 5.
Yes, each foster child’s medical expenses are covered by Medicaid. Other child-related services such as psychological, psychiatric, and speech therapy are paid for by the State depending on the needs of the child. Safety items such as car seats are usually purchased by foster parents, who are reimbursed.
Foster parents must have sufficient income to support their current family’s needs before adding an additional child. There is no hard-and-fast rule about income, but you will be required to provide proof of income and a household budget before being approved to foster.
Not at all. Foster parents can rent or own an apartment, single-family house or condominium.
Provided the work plan is guided by the needs of the child, foster parents can work outside of the home. The State provides daycare services to foster families who work full time outside the home.
Yes. Currently, in the state of Georgia, a maximum of 6 children are allowed in the home. This number includes your own children.
Yes. If you think that the placement of a particular child will not work with the dynamics of your family, you have the right to refuse the placement of that child.
Yes, fostering by single parents is permissible and supported.
Sometimes. Any major life change will be assessed on an individual basis, and Bloom may suggest a brief wait before taking a foster child into your home after a major life event. Families need stability before considering the addition of a child.