Why do so many children need foster care?
About 70% of all children in foster care are there because their parents have a substance abuse problem. Adult drug abuse, mental illness, plus child sexual abuse contribute to an atmosphere where more and more children need a safe living environment while their parents work on successful treatment.

How long will children stay in my care?
Foster parents provide temporary care while the child’s family gets the help they need in order to reunite. Most foster placements last 3 to 12 months, but some may last only a few days or weeks.

Who is qualified to foster parent?
Any caring adult who has good parenting skills and can provide loving care is qualified, regardless of education, marital, employment status or citizenship.

Do I have to own my own home?
No. Your home must be clean, safe and must have a phone. Children of the opposite sex may not share a bedroom although same-sex children may share a bedroom, if they are over five years of age.

What are my responsibilities?
In addition to supplying a safe, clean, loving and secure home, you are responsible to monitor the child’s school work, coordinate with the child’s social worker for visits with biological parents (which occur at the agency) and for arranging transportation to counseling sessions, if needed. But, the most important responsibility is the intangible one: assuring that the children in your care feel safe, secure and accepted, everyday.

How do I become a foster parent?
D.A. Blodgett for Children provides all the training and assessment services you need to become licensed at no charge. Licensing through the state of Michigan takes about 12 weeks and includes interviews in your home plus criminal and protective services checks, other forms, and references.

How long does it take to get a child?
Once you are licensed, a child or sibling group will be matched to your family for placement, generally within a few months.

What are some of the special services D.A. Blodgett for Children offers its foster families?
There is a “continuum of care” at D.A. Blodgett for Children, which is another way of saying we provide all the services you may need and work hard to develop new ones as times and needs change. Our foster parents have complete access to our private Jerome Webber Clinic (see the separate section in this brochure for more information about this special service). As a D.A. Blodgett foster parent, your foster children may be matched with a mentor through our Big Brothers Big Sisters Program. We also secure dental and psychiatric services as needed for each child.

Who pays for clothing and medical care?
Every foster child has free access to the Jerome Webber Medical Clinic located on the D.A. Blodgett for Children campus. In addition, foster parents receive a small monthly stipend to cover the cost of food and clothing for the child. There is also day care funding for foster parents who work outside the home.

What happens once a child leaves my home?
The goal, always, is to return the child to his home of origin once social workers determine the family has made progress and the home is now safe. If the courts decide the family is no longer a suitable place for children, the children are placed for adoption.

May I adopt my foster child if he or she needs a permanent home?
That is sometimes possible depending on the willingness and availability of the extended biological family as well as the child’s age and willingness to stay with the foster family permanently.

How do I get started?
Call D.A. Blodgett for Children at (616) 451-2021 and ask for information about foster home licensing and the date of our next foster parent orientation or go to www.dablodgett.org