I. Training Requirements

The State of Florida requires all foster parents to complete a special needs training course.

Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) is a twelve-week series of three-hour classes designed to address special-needs parenting topics that will help the licensing agency and prospective foster parents mutually decide on whether foster parenting is the right choice for their family. Topics addressed in the training include attachment issues affecting foster children, the stages of grief and how grief affects children, helping children to manage their behaviors, the importance of validating birth family connections, and the impact fostering has on the foster family. Both parents within a family must attend the training.

Potential foster parents must also complete a Universal Safety Precautions training, Water Safety training and an Adult/Infant/Child CPR course.

If married, or living with a significant other, both partners must be MAPP certified and attend all courses.

II. Licensing Requirements

1. Documentation
During the first few weeks of the MAPP course, prospective foster parents will receive a packet that contains all of the licensing forms that are required by the State and local licensing authority. Upon completion of the MAPP training course and submission of the licensing documentation, a Kids in Distress licensing specialist will be assigned to the prospective foster family. This specialist’s primary role is to help the prospective foster family navigate the licensing process successfully.

2. Successful Federal, State, and Local Background Clearances.

 Child Safety is our priority. A thorough background screening is required of every applicant, including Federal, State and Local criminal/civil/DMV history checks. During the MAPP training, KID will initiate the background screening process for each prospective foster parent. Upon successful completion of this process, a prospective foster parent may proceed to the next step.

All adults (18+) living in your household and any potential babysitters for your foster children must be successfully background screened as well. If you have concerns with this process, please discuss them individually with one of our MAPP trainers or our licensing staff.  Background screening requirements are outlined in Florida Statute 65c-13.023.

3. Home Visits by a KID Licensing Specialist and a County Safety Inspection
The licensing specialist will come to your home to conduct a home study interview. This home visit should be about two hours in length, and all members of your family, including children, must be present during the visit. The interview process is our opportunity to get to know you and your family as we mutually determine whether foster care is the right choice for you. During the visit, our staff will answer your questions, address any family concerns or issues, and assess your home for any licensing conflicts or supplies necessary to successfully pass all inspections. We do not expect you to be fully prepared to accept foster children at the time of the first home visit. Shortly after this first home visit, a representative from the Health Department will contact you to schedule a safety inspection. At the time of this inspection, your home should be prepared to accept children.

After the completion of the home visits and safety inspections, your file will be approved by Kids In Distress and submitted to the local licensing authority for review.

Marital Status: Do I have to be married to qualify?

No, you do not have to be married to qualify as a foster parent; however, a single parent is required by law to identify a back-up sitter that will be available to support them, if necessary. That backup sitter must be background screened and approved by the Department of Children and Families (see page 1).

Family Composition: How many children are we able to care for?

  Limitations with regards to the number of children and ages of children to be served are based on observation of the stamina, capacities and skills of the parents as well as the physical accommodations of the home.

There should be no more than five total children, including birth children within the foster home. There should be no more than two infants under the age of two in the family, including biological children.

Adequate Space: How much space do we need to foster?

  There must be sufficient/adequate space for our children. Each child must have their own bed and each infant their own crib/toddler bed. The child must be provided with adequate storage space for his personal belongings and a space designated for hanging clothes in or near the bedroom he will be occupying in your home.

Children in care cannot share a bedroom with any adult, except for infants twelve months or younger. Also, any child over the age of three must not share a bedroom with a child of the opposite sex.

Recent Loss or Transitional Period:

If married, the parents should have a stabilized, legal marriage, of at least one year, prior to seeking licensure. If divorced, widowed, or having recently experienced the death of a child, the parent will be asked to wait one year before seeking to become a licensed foster parent.

Age Requirements: How old is too old?

  There are no age restrictions; however, the age of a foster parent must be considered in relation to psychological maturity, health, physical energy, flexibility, ability to care for a specific child as well as the probable duration of placement of a child within the foster home.

Income: Do foster parents have to make a certain income to qualify?

  Foster Parents must have sufficient income to ensure their stability and the security of their own family without relying on the foster care stipend. Income must be sufficient to endure 4 – 6 weeks of a child’s expenses until a parent is reimbursed by the stipend.

Health Requirements

  Applicants are required to share the health history on each member of the household including physical, mental health, and other treatments received which may impair their ability to care for a child. A medical release will be required from your physician stating that you are physically and emotionally able to care for a child in your home.

Religion: May I bring a foster child to my church? A foster parent must be willing to provide a foster child the opportunity for participation in the faith of his choice or that is requested by the birth family. A parent whose religious preference, or other spiritual connections preclude the use of a licensed medical physician for foster children, may not be licensed.

Transportation:  What if I don’t drive?

If a foster parent does not possess a driver's license, they must submit a detailed plan as to how they will be able to fulfill their parenting responsiblities and transport the child to/from necessary locations.  The plan must specifically address how the parent will take the child to medical/dental appointments, pick the child up from school when ill, transport to/from extracurricular activities, therapeutic appointments, visitation, etc.

All vehicles used to transport foster children must be in safe condition and in compliance with applicable motor vehicle laws including the use of seat belts for all passengers.

Proof of liability insurance and a valid driver’s license is required from every prospective parent and backup sitter.

Every child under the age of 4 must be transported in an appropriate car seat.

Home Safety

Foster homes are inspected and approved on an annual basis by the Health Department.  Home safety standards for licensed out of home caregivers are referenced in detail within FS65c-13. A Broward County Health Inspector will schedule an appointment to evaluate and ensure that the following criteria is being met as it relates to home safety:

• Each child must have their own bed/crib and clean, appropriate bedding.
• Hot water temperature must not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit at the faucet.
• Guns and ammunition must be kept separately and locked.
• All medications, poisonous chemicals, and cleaning materials must be kept locked in a cabinet or closet
• Alcoholic beverages should be stored out of the reach of children.
• Children’s access to potentially dangerous animals must be restricted.
• Pets must have current vaccinations.  Vaccination records must be provided to the inspector.
• Transportation and access to telephones must be immediately available for use in emergencies.
• All combustible items must be stored away from sources of heat.
• The home must not be heated by unvented gas heaters.
• An evacuation plan must be posted in a highly visible area and explained to the children.
• All bedrooms must have two means of escape.  If windows have bars, they must be able to be released to allow exit, otherwise known as “breakaway bars”.
• The home must have a safe outdoor play area as part of the property or within reasonable walking distance.
• Kitchen must have a fire extinguisher, size 2A10BC or larger. If the home has a second floor, a second fire extinguisher must be readily accessible in a general area of the second floor.
• Smoke detectors must be in the halls and children’s bedrooms.
• Bathtubs/showers must have non-skid surfaces or mat/decals to prevent slipping.
• The home must have working battery-operated flashlights.
• The home must have a first-aid supply box readily available and stored out of reach.  First-aid supplies must be kept in one box.
• Swimming pools should have a four-foot high fence surrounding the pool.
• If the home is located on a canal, lake or has a swimming pool, every door in the home leading to the outside area must be secured by a standard lock as well as a lock on the top of each door frame,  making access to the outside area impossible for a child without an adult’s assistance.