Are you interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent? Placer County has a continuing need for foster and adoptive families. Placer County works in partnership with Sierra Forever Families to operate the Placer Kids program. This program recruits and educates new foster and adoptive parents, and provides foster care licensing and adoptive home studies to families who are interested in opening their homes. The program also provides ongoing support for families to better deal with issues the children face.Children do best when they can stay in their own schools and live in their own communities. Placer Kids has children who need temporary foster care, which could be anywhere from 3 to 12 months in time. Additionally, there are children who are unable to return to their families and need permanent homes either through adoption or guardianship.
There are several ways families may help children in need:
Shelter Care Families
Children 0 to 5 years of age are placed in Shelter Care Families. These licensed foster families have a contract with Placer County to be available for a maximum of 30 days, until the children either return to their birth families, or are placed in a foster family. Shelter Care Families are usually licensed for a maximum of two children. A monthly stipend per child is provided, with the foster parents also receiving the prorated monthly foster care rate when a child is placed. Foster parents are expected to be on call 24/7 with four days off per month.
Reunification Families
Reunification families provide care for children who need a temporary home while arrangements are made to return them to their birth families. The birth parents will be actively involved in a reunification program, usually overseen by the courts.
Concurrent Planning Families
Concurrent Planning families provide care for children who have active reunification plans. The majority of children placed in Placer Kids homes are in
reunification and need Concurrent Planning families. These families help with reunification efforts, yet can be available to adopt the child, or children, if necessary.
Adoptive Families
See Placer Kids Featured Family
Pride Training for Foster Care Licensing and Adoptions 2012 Schedule
These families provide a permanent home for children and youth. Those wishing to adopt a foster child must first obtain a foster care license. Children must reside with an identified adoptive family for a minimum of six months before the child can be legally adopted. While a child is living with such a family, the child is considered to be in foster care and the family must meet the necessary requirements. Obtaining this license starts by attending the Placer Kids Orientation.
Next, a home visit will be scheduled with a licensing worker, and the prospective family will be given an application package to complete, learn about the nine-week pre-licensing courses, and be given Livescan documents for fingerprint clearances. Foster parents must be current in CPR and first aid, have a clear TB screen, and be in general good health, which is documented by a physician’s health screening evaluation.
Support
Placer Kids has many support services in place to help make the foster care/adoption experience successful. Placer Kids offers a nine-week training class which, along with the orientation, will give foster and adoptive families a broad overview of the services that are available. There is a foster/adoptive family support group that meets monthly in both Auburn and Roseville. See The Support Group Flyer
Getting Started
The first step in exploring foster care or adoption is to attend the once a month orientation meeting. The orientation is held the 3rd Thursday of every month from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Placer Kids location at 287 Nevada Street, Upstairs, Auburn, Ca. 95603. See the Events Page for specific, upcoming dates.
Child care is provided, free of charge; however, please call Placer Kids (see below) to reserve a space in advance.
For further information, and to ask questions, please call the Placer Kids toll free number at 888-387-9982,
or call Placer County Children’s System of Care at (530) 886-2879.
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