HOW TO BECOME A FOSTER PARENT

How to Become A Foster Parent

Become a Foster Parent Today!
Serving Fayetteville, Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, Greensboro, NC & the Surrounding Areas

“Every child has a right to be a member of a healthy and supportive family.”


According to the North Carolina Department of Social Services, to be eligible as a foster parent, you must meet the following criteria:

 

  • Over 21 years old
  • Have a stable, drug-free home environment
  • Have steady employment
  • Undergo a criminal background check and give fingerprints
  • Provide references
  • Be trained and licensed as a foster parent by the state

 

Unfortunately, in the past few years, the number of children in need of foster care has risen, due to state unemployment rates, poverty, and the growing opioid crisis. Now more than ever, children and teens alike need loving, caring homes where they can feel supported and grow to the best of their ability. You could be the difference in one child's life. There are a number of reasons that families find a calling to become foster parents, and regardless of that reason, always find that growing their family with a foster child is enriching and beneficial to their life.

Become A Foster Parent in Greensboro, NC
Foster parents with foster child | Become a foster parent | Fayetteville, NC

Why Become a Foster Parent?

  • You Care About Children & Want to Help Them: Children that are in the foster care system may have been neglected, abused, or abandoned. These children need love and care just like everyone else. To become a foster parent means that you are helping and loving the foster children in ways that will help them grow and have a brighter future.
  • Provide Safe & Welcoming Home: If you have a safe, comfortable, and welcoming home available and the time to raise and nurture a foster child, you are a great candidate for foster parenting. Providing the basic needs to a foster child means more to them than you may think it does.
  • Make Positive Impact in Your Community: In every city or town across the country, there is a need for foster parents. Choosing to become a foster parent is not on the same level as deciding what you want to eat for dinner, so although it demands serious thought and consideration, it is also a great way to make a positive impact in your community. By giving a child in need a safe, comfortable, and nurturing home, you are actively helping the fight against homelessness, school dropout rates, poverty, and more.

7 Tips for Becoming a Great Foster Parent

  1. The first and most important rule to becoming a great foster parent/family is to remember that these children need a temporary home. 
  2. It’s never about money, it is about offering a child in need a safe haven. 
  3. Expect it to be hard, it is often a great challenge to love unconditionally but temporarily. The child will often not make it easy on you either.
  4. Love the child as your own, foster children need to be loved and accepted more than anyone. 
  5. Present your child as your child, the child needs to feel accepted and part of the family. Don’t introduce them as your foster child or newest addition.
  6. Don’t judge, the child, his/her upbringing or the biological parents. 
  7. Don’t think of yourself as a savior, think of yourself as a safe and loving haven along the way.

The Benefits of Becoming a Foster Parent

Becoming a foster parent is a life-changing decision that can be incredibly beneficial for vulnerable children as well as the foster parents themselves. While the journey is not without its challenges, the potential rewards far outweigh the difficulties. Here are some of the key benefits of becoming a foster parent:


  • Making a Difference in a Child's Life: One of the most significant benefits of foster parenting is the opportunity to make a positive impact on a child's life. By providing a safe and nurturing environment, you can help a child heal from past traumas, develop essential life skills, and build a foundation for a brighter future.
  • Learning & Personal Growth: Foster parenting is a continuous learning experience. It offers the chance to develop new skills, gain insights into child development, and enhance your understanding of trauma-informed care. As a foster parent, you will grow personally and emotionally, becoming more compassionate, patient, and resilient. Providing much-needed care and support to a child in need can be incredibly rewarding.
  • Expanding Your Family: Foster parenting provides an opportunity to experience the joys of parenthood and enhance your family life. It allows you to create a loving and supportive family environment for a child who needs it the most. The bonds you form during this process can have lasting, lifelong impacts on both the child and the foster parent.
  • Contributing to the Community: By becoming a foster parent, you are actively contributing to your community’s well-being. You are helping to address an urgent need for safe and stable homes for children in crisis. Your commitment to fostering not only benefits individual children but also strengthens the fabric of society as a whole.


Becoming a foster parent is a selfless and noble decision that offers countless benefits. If you have the love, compassion, resources, and dedication to become a foster parent, consider opening your heart and home to a child in need. The rewards of foster parenting are immeasurable and can create a positive ripple effect that extends far beyond your own family. The team at Unity Home Care will be there to help you every step of the way. Our experienced team has the experience and resources to provide support to foster parents throughout the Fayetteville, Greensboro, Durham, Wilmington, and Raleigh, NC areas. Contact our foster care agency today to learn more!

You Can Make a Difference in a Child's Life Today

When you become a foster parent, you should also know that foster children will receive Medicaid and WIC (as age appropriate) and that daycare assistance may be available, too. Other types of government aid will be explained to you during your foster parent training.


Foster parents assist in providing a safe and stable environment while the child is in foster care. Thank you for considering helping a child in need in the Fayetteville, Raleigh, Durham, Wilmington, and Greensboro, NC areas. Please get in touch with us if you would like to become a foster parent, or have any questions or concerns about the foster to adopt process.

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