Foster Care Programs | Being a foster parent can be a tough job that requires you to be in uncomfortable situations. When a child has been placed with a Shasta county foster care agency, the goal is to reunite them with their birth parents if possible. A foster parent is typically a temporary guardian because the parents have been deemed unfit to care for their children. Hopefully, over time the biological parents can prove that they are trustworthy and capable of providing a quality home for their children.

If you are a foster parent it is likely that you will need to interact with the child’s birth parents. A foster parent needs to understand that the goal is to reunite the child with their biological parents.

For the birth parents to regain their children, they will need to prove that they can hold a steady job and provide a stable home life. If the birth parents have been involved with drug or alcohol abuse they will need to go to counseling/rehabilitation. The birth parents will need to also need to stay out of trouble while trying to regain their children. This includes not breaking the law or going to jail for any reason. This could really hurt their chances or regaining custody of their children.

During the time that the children are with the Shasta county foster care agency, it is possible that the birth parents will have a visitation schedule. If this is the case they will have set times where they can meet with their children. Normally, the birth parents need to stick to this visitation schedule to prove that they really want their children back in their lives. A social worker may transport the children for visitations, or the foster parents may be asked to if they are comfortable doing so. As a foster parent, you may need to co-exist and get along with the child’s birth parents.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, 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.