Foster Parenting

– Making A Difference –

Opening your heart and your home to provide much needed stability in the life of a child

MACF is a private agency that provides foster care and case management services to children and families in Missouri. The process to obtain a foster care license takes on average 120 days and involves several components including (but not limited to):

. Application for licensure
. Criminal background check with fingerprinting
. Training classes (an average of 27 hours) provided by the agency
. Home study and interviews

An orientation meeting describing the needs of children needing a foster home will help you make an informed decision about fostering. You will also learn about the foster care licensing process. In Missouri, families must receive a license before the children come to live with them. Licensing ensures that children are placed with nurturing families in homes that meet standards set by the State of Missouri.

Submit Foster Parent Inquiry

Training is a critical step toward becoming a foster parent in Missouri. It allows individuals to ask questions, determine if foster parenting is the right choice and to build relationships with other parents and agency staff. Here are the resources to get you started:

Pre-service training is a prerequisite to become a licensed resource home. Resource parents must successfully complete classroom training as well as an extensive assessment interwoven with the training. The competencies include:

* Protecting and nurturing;
* Meeting developmental needs and addressing developmental delays;
* Supporting relationships between children and their birth families;
* Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime; and
* Working as a member of a professional team.

Missouri Alliance seeks resource homes willing to participate in advanced training aimed at preparing them to serve children and youth with escalated emotional and behavioral health needs. This level of training requires an additional 26 hours of training.

A minimum of 48 hours of training is required for a license to be renewed. Renewal is required every two years. Required training can include:

* Introduction to Missouri Foster and Respite Care Resource Provider Training
* Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standard
* Trauma
* Secondhand Smoke Exposure Protection
* Sibling Placement
* Psychotropic Medications
* Laws and Policies
* Trust Based Relationtional Intervention
* Informed Consent
* Orientation to Foster Care Bill of Rights
* CPR/First Aide

Most people who can provide an adequate and loving home are eligible to foster. As a foster parent you:

. Can be single, married, divorced, or separated and living apart from a spouse for 12 months or longer
. May or may not have birth or adopted children
. Must be at least 21 years of age
. Must be able to financially manage the addition of a child or children to the family, although there are no specific income requirements
. Must have no criminal history that will prevent you from being licensed
. Meet a competency based assessment process
. Be willing to partner with the child’s family