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foster care services
Frequently Asked Questions
To find out more about becoming a licensed caregiver, send us an email at fostercare@friendsofyouth.org.
what are the state licensing requirements for foster parents?
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Be at least 21 years of age
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Have sufficient income to support themselves without relying on foster care payments
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Discipline children in a positive manner without the use of physical punishment
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Provide supervision appropriate to the age or specific behavior of the child as outlined by the social worker
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Complete training:
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First Aid/CPR
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Blood Borne Pathogens
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Licensing Orientation
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Pre-service Training
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Complete a background clearance check with the FBI and Washington State Patrol
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Medical screening (if applicable, doctor's note)
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TB screening for all adults in the home (if applicable, doctor's note or negative TB test)
what does the licensing process
look like?
The licensing process takes roughly 3-6 months, and involves
the steps outlined below.
Our foster care licensor plays an active role in assisting you through each step of the process, and is available during office hours for any questions you may have.
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Initial 2-3 hour interview
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26 hours of pre-service training, including an overview of the foster care system in Washington state
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Foster Care Application
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Background checks for all individuals over 16 in the household
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CPR / First Aid certification and Bloodborne Pathogens Training
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Medical screening (if applicable, doctors note)
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TB screening for all adults in the home (if applicable, doctors note or negative TB test)
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Paperwork including autobiography, family history and references, child interviews, child care plan, safety and supervision plans, and other supporting documentation
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Home inspection
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Home study interviews – 2-3
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what does friends of youth look for
in a foster parent?
Foster Parents can be single or partnered, renters or homeowners, inexperienced or experienced. We provide all
our Foster Parents with the support and resources to achieve success in fostering.
Foster Parent qualities we seek include:
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The ability to work with children
who have experienced trauma
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Time and commitment
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Willingness to be part of a team
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Awareness of youth behavioral issues
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Consistency and stability
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Openness to diversity
Prospective parents must meet state licensing requirements
as well as those set by Friends of Youth. Our licensor assists applicants through the process, which usually takes three to
six months.
what does fostering with friends of youth look like?
The Friends of Youth foster team works diligently to ensure
that our children are placed in safe, stable and nurturing foster homes.
We license Foster Parents and ensure they are supported with free monthly training; a financial stipend; periodic respite and
the support of an entire team of professionals working with
each foster child in their care.
Our foster care team includes a Case Manager and Individual Treatment Aides for every child.
We ensure that our Foster Parents are supported through continuous home visits, ongoing training, on-site therapist to support youth mental health, enrolling youths in apple health, support with medical and legal appointments, and a 24/7 emergency line.
We ensure foster parents always have support and guidance
to help them support foster youth in achieving positive
change, emotional healing, improved behavior, and stronger social skills while preparing them for their future.
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who are the children we serve?
Our foster children and youth come to our agency through
one of two programs.
We serve children from the Washington State foster care
system with therapeutic services (BRS) as well as
unaccompanied minors through the Office of Refugee Resettlement (DUCO).
We are eager to license and support bilingual (Spanish) foster homes for our unaccompanied children, and adults who have experience with teenagers (or a willingness to learn) who
wish to support them in a therapeutic setting.
We license families for children ages 6-18, and due to the
nature of the programs we have, we have a higher
concentration of teenagers.
what if I want to help youth but
can’t commit to the full-time work
of being a foster parent?
If you can’t commit to full-time fostering, consider being a
respite Foster Parent.
Respite providers care for foster children on the weekends or
over vacations, depending on the need of the Foster Parent. Providing respite is a great way to get involved and lend a hand.