Foster parenting is a challenging and rewarding experience. Being a foster parent effects every hour of your family’s life. Selecting a foster family agency is selecting a team that will offer you support, guidance, and encouragement. We recognize that as a potential foster parent you have options as to the agency with which you associate, and you will probably be researching each of them in your area. To help you get to know our agency’s philosophy and many of the legal requirements of becoming a foster family, we have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions we receive from potential foster parents like you. If any of your questions are not answered, please contact our office to meet with one of our social workers.

The first step is to call Family Solutions office at 530-893-4245 and speak with one of our Social Workers; they can help answer question or concerns you have about becoming a foster parent. The next step is to arrange for the administrator to come to your home and talk with you about foster care and our agency. This is very informal and meant for you to be able to ask any questions you might still have and to get to know us better. Selecting the right agency for you is very important and this meeting gives you the opportunity to in a way interview us. If you are still interested and choose Family Solutions as the agency you would like work with then we can get started on the paperwork.

The state requires a great deal of documentation before certifying a foster home. At first this list may appear daunting. But once you have reviewed the list, you will see that these requirements enable the state to set a high standard for the proper care of the children. We have the certification system down to a science, so hold on and we’ll get you through it...

We like to start our new foster parents out slowly. A limit of two children per bedroom is traditionally enforced. The amount of space you have in your home and your experience will determine the number of children for which your home can be certified.

Each situation is different. When a child is removed from a home the first job of CPS is to try to find an appropriate relative placement. If a relative home is found, the child would only stay in your home for a short time. If the judge offers reunification to the parents then the child may stay somewhere between 6 and 18 months. An average stay is 9 months.

The children all have Medi-Cal, which allows them to see doctors and dentists, and receive prescriptions through county funding. Therapy is provided at no expense to the foster parents. We work with an exclusive pre-approved group of certified child and family therapists. All these sessions are free to the foster parent.

Foster Parents are asked to provide transportation to the doctor, dentist, therapist, school, Court, visitations and religious services. If the foster parents are unable to provide this transportation, an agency employee will transport the child

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. If you need assistance during those hours, simply phone the office. Calls can be forwarded to staff in the field, so you are never out of communication with your social worker. In addition, there is always one social worker who carries a pager 24-hours a day, so you can receive assistance when necessary.