Becoming a Foster Parent in California | Children across the country need the help and support of foster parents. Unfortunately, there are more older children in foster care. Usually the older a child gets, the less likely that they are going to get adopted by a family. The biggest reason is because families often want a baby or young child to start their family. They don’t want the baggage that they feel an older adolescent or teenager might have. It leaves the foster care agency to try to find them a home, whether it be a foster home or an adopted home.

It is true that older children may come with their own struggles but there are also very rewarding aspects of fostering or adopting an older child. Here are a couple reasons.

More Relatable
Older children are often easier to relate to because they have already developed their own personalities. When becoming a foster parent in California, you can do more grown up type activities with your older foster child. You may really be able to share an interest and do that activity together. For example, you may both enjoy working on computers. So, you could work together to develop a website or build a gaming computer.

Help Them Transition Into Adulthood
Another rewarding reason to seek out an older child from a foster care agency is so that you can help them make the transition to adulthood. If you foster a teenager you can really see them grow and learn. You can help them transition to college, a trade school or into the workforce. As a foster parent, you can be a key role model to help them become a productive citizen.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent in California, contact Children First Foster Family Agency or apply to become a resource parent.
Children First FFA is a private, non-profit organization in Northern California that is dedicated to helping change lives by providing a safe place for children to heal in a culture of love, acceptance, and consistency.