How to Become a Foster Parent in Alabama

Description

Foster care in Alabama provides temporary, family-based care for children who cannot safely remain in their own homes. Reunification with parents is generally the initial permanency goal when it can be achieved safely. Foster parents provide daily care while working with the child's parents, relatives, county DHR workers, courts, schools, healthcare providers, service providers, and other members of the child's team. They are expected to support family relationships, visitation, the child's Individualized Service Plan, cultural identity, education, medical care, normal childhood activities, and the child's established permanency plan.

Agency

The Alabama Department of Human Resources, Children and Family Services Division, administers the state's public foster-care program. County Departments of Human Resources recruit, prepare, assess, approve, supervise, and support DHR foster family homes and adoptive resources. Alabama-licensed private child-placing agencies may also recruit and approve foster homes for the programs they operate.

Who Can Apply

Single adults and married couples who are at least 19 years old may apply. Applicants must demonstrate suitable character, mature judgment, stable relationships, sufficient financial resources, appropriate physical and emotional health, safe parenting and discipline practices, reliable transportation, a supportive household, and the ability to meet the needs of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, separation, grief, loss, trauma, and instability.

Average Time To License

No single completion period applies statewide. Approval depends on completion of the inquiry and screening process, the application, 30 hours of preparation, family consultations, references, medical requirements, criminal-history and child-abuse clearances, the written family assessment, home-safety reviews, and correction of any unmet standards. Applicants using the individualized Deciding Together process must participate in at least seven family consultations.

Website

Visit the official agency website

Minimum Age

A foster-parent applicant must be at least 19 years old. The approving agency evaluates maturity, judgment, caregiving capacity, and suitability in addition to chronological age.

Residency

Applicants generally begin with the Alabama County Department of Human Resources serving the county where they live or with an Alabama-licensed private child-placing agency. The applicant's home must be available for assessment, inspection, ongoing supervision, and annual reapproval. Applicants who recently lived in another state may need child-abuse, neglect, criminal-history, or licensing clearances from prior jurisdictions.

Marital Status

Alabama permits both single adults and married couples to foster. When a married couple applies, both spouses participate in the preparation, assessment, background-clearance, and approval process. The agency evaluates the stability of the relationship and each adult's commitment to fostering. Other adults living in the household are also assessed according to their role and contact with children.

Income Requirements

The foster family home must have sufficient income and financial resources to meet the household's existing obligations independently of foster-care maintenance payments. Applicants provide financial information during the approval process. Foster-care payments are intended to help cover the expenses of a child placed by the agency, not to provide the family's primary income.

Home Ownership

Applicants are not required to own their residence. A house, apartment, mobile home, housing unit, or other qualifying residence may be approved if it provides adequate space, sanitation, utilities, privacy, sleeping arrangements, and safety and meets the applicable Alabama Minimum Standards. Renters should confirm that their lease and property rules permit the intended household arrangement.

Bedroom Requirements

The home must have enough approved sleeping space for household members and children placed in care. Foster children may not routinely sleep in public living areas. Children over age 6 who are of opposite sexes must have separate sleeping rooms. Each child generally must have an individual bed, adequate bedding, and appropriate space for clothing and personal possessions. Limited exceptions for particular siblings, young children, or individual circumstances must comply with Alabama standards and agency approval.

Transportation

The family must have a reliable and safe plan for transporting children to school, family visitation, medical and dental appointments, counseling, court-related activities, childcare, extracurricular activities, and emergencies. Vehicles used for foster children must be properly registered, insured, safely maintained, operated by licensed drivers, and equipped with seat belts and age-appropriate child restraints.

Health Requirements

Applicants must be physically and emotionally capable of providing safe and consistent care. Each foster-parent applicant must receive an initial physical examination within the six months preceding approval and provide the required medical documentation. The agency may request additional information or professional evaluation when a physical condition, mental-health concern, medication, substance-use history, communicable disease, or other circumstance could affect caregiving capacity or child safety.

Pet Policy

Pets and other animals are permitted when they can be maintained safely around children. Animals required by law to receive rabies vaccinations must have current documentation. Animals with aggressive behavior may not remain in the foster home, and reptiles or other animals that could create a safety or health risk must be appropriately housed, confined, and supervised.

Firearm Policy

Firearms, projectile weapons, and ammunition are permitted only when safely secured. Weapons must be unloaded, locked, and inaccessible to children. Ammunition must be stored separately from the weapons in locked storage. The licensing or approving worker evaluates compliance during the home assessment.

Contact Agency

Call 1-866-425-5437, commonly presented as 1-866-4-AL-KIDS, submit Alabama DHR's online Adoption and Foster Care Inquiry form, or contact the County Department of Human Resources serving your residence. A prospective applicant may also contact an Alabama-licensed private child-placing agency that operates an appropriate foster-care program.

Attend Orientation

Participate in the information, inquiry, and screening process offered by the county DHR office or private agency. The agency explains the role of foster parents, reunification and permanency, children commonly needing placement, approval standards, training, background checks, the family assessment, reimbursement, support services, placement procedures, and expectations for working with children's families and professional teams.

Choose Agency

Decide whether to pursue approval directly through the local County Department of Human Resources or through an Alabama-licensed private child-placing agency. The available placement types, populations served, specialized programs, training schedules, and support services may differ. A foster or adoptive resource generally may not hold simultaneous approvals from two agencies for the same service.

Documents Needed

• Completed foster and/or adoptive family application
• Government-issued identification and identity information requested by the agency
• Information about every person living in the household
• Physical examination and medical-report forms for foster-parent applicants
• Health information for other household members when required
• Financial statement and information showing the household can meet its existing expenses
• Employment and work-schedule information
• Names and contact information for required references
• Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry clearance authorizations
• Criminal-history consent and release forms
• Fingerprint submissions for covered applicants and household members
• Prior-state child-abuse, neglect, criminal, or licensing clearances when applicable
• Marriage, divorce, separation, or other family-status records when requested
• Driver's-license, vehicle-registration, and automobile-insurance information
• Information about regular overnight visitors, roomers, or boarders
• Information identifying emergency substitute caregivers
• Pet vaccination or animal-safety documentation when applicable
• Firearm and ammunition storage information when weapons are present
• Additional explanations or supporting records requested during the family assessment

Required

Yes

Description

Prospective foster parents participate in a structured preparation and mutual-assessment process. Alabama's group model is commonly known as TIPS, Trauma Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanence. It combines education with family assessment and helps applicants understand trauma, separation, attachment, behavior, birth-family partnerships, reunification, permanency, teamwork, cultural differences, discipline, normalcy, and the effect fostering may have on every household member. Deciding Together provides an individualized alternative for families who cannot participate in the group format.

How To Register

Begin through the Alabama DHR Adoption and Foster Care Inquiry system, call 1-866-425-5437, or contact the appropriate County DHR office. The county or private approving agency will provide information about upcoming TIPS classes, preliminary meetings, required forms, and any individualized Deciding Together option available to the family.

Duration

TIPS includes 30 hours of preservice preparation, commonly delivered across ten meetings or weeks. Deciding Together also satisfies the 30-hour preservice requirement through an individualized assessment and preparation process that includes at least seven family consultations. Exact scheduling differs by county and approving agency.

Application Process

Applicants submit the foster and/or adoptive family application and supporting documentation to the County Department of Human Resources or licensed private child-placing agency responsible for approving the home. The application process continues alongside TIPS or Deciding Together and the family assessment. The approving worker reviews the applicants, household members, references, health, finances, criminal and child-abuse history, relationships, parenting experience, support system, home environment, transportation, placement preferences, and ability to work with children’s families and professional teams.

Required Documents

• Completed Application to Foster and/or Adopt or the approving agency's equivalent application
• Identification and personal-history information for each applicant
• Information about all children and adults living in the household
• Required physical-examination and medical-report forms for foster-parent applicants
• Medical or health information for other household members when requested
• Financial statement and information about income, expenses, employment, and household resources
• Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry clearance authorizations
• Criminal-history consent and release forms
• Fingerprint submissions for applicants and other adults covered by Alabama requirements
• Child-abuse or neglect clearances from previous states of residence when required
• Criminal or licensing records from other jurisdictions when requested
• Names and contact information for at least three qualifying references
• Driver's-license information for household members who may transport children
• Vehicle-registration and automobile-insurance documentation
• Marriage, divorce, separation, or relationship-history information when applicable
• Information about adult household members, roomers, boarders, and regular overnight visitors
• Information identifying substitute or emergency caregivers
• Information about prior foster-care, adoption, childcare, or caregiving applications and approvals
• Pet vaccination records or other animal-health documentation when applicable
• Information about firearms, ammunition, pools, water hazards, and other potential household risks
• Any explanations, evaluations, records, or safety plans requested by the approving worker

References Required

Applicants and other covered adults must provide at least three references. References must have known the person for at least two years, may not be related to the person by blood, marriage, or adoption, and must be able to discuss the person's character, reputation, reliability, employment or work history, relationships, and suitability to care for or have regular contact with children. The approving agency may contact references in writing, by telephone, or through an interview and may request additional references when needed.

Interview Process

The approving worker conducts family consultations and interviews with each applicant and with other household members as appropriate. The assessment may also include interviews with applicants' children, adult children, relatives, references, former spouses or partners, substitute caregivers, and other people whose information is relevant to the family's suitability. TIPS includes assessment activities throughout the group process. Deciding Together requires an individualized series of at least seven family consultations. Additional interviews or professional evaluations may be required if questions arise about health, relationships, substance use, criminal history, parenting practices, household safety, or caregiving capacity.

Required

Yes

Curriculum

Alabama requires preservice preparation that combines education, self-assessment, and family assessment. Subject areas include child and adolescent development; trauma, abuse, neglect, grief, loss, separation, and attachment; understanding behavior as communication of underlying needs; safe behavior management; prohibited discipline practices; the importance and value of birth families; shared parenting and partnerships; reunification and permanency; Individualized Service Plans; identifying family and child strengths and needs; the effect fostering may have on the foster family; cultural, racial, religious, and identity differences; confidentiality; mandatory reporting; medication administration; normalcy; and application of the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard.

Required Hours

Applicants must complete 30 hours of preservice preparation before approval. TIPS generally provides the 30 hours through ten group meetings. Deciding Together satisfies the same preparation requirement through individualized consultations and related assignments. After approval, each foster parent must complete at least 15 hours of in-service training during every approval year.

Online Available

The availability of virtual or hybrid TIPS, Deciding Together, and continuing-education classes varies by county and approving agency. Applicants should obtain the current schedule from their local DHR office. Training used to satisfy CPR requirements may not be completed entirely online; Alabama requires a course that includes an acceptable skills-demonstration component.

Certification

Foster parents must maintain current First Aid and CPR certification as required for the children they are approved to serve. Homes caring for infants or young children must have training that includes pediatric and infant First Aid and CPR. Alabama may require additional instruction in medication administration, water safety, medically fragile care, therapeutic care, behavior support, or other specialized topics depending on the home's approval and the needs of children placed there.

Required

Yes

Interviews

The family assessment includes interviews and consultations with applicants and relevant household members. The worker evaluates each applicant's motivation, character, emotional maturity, relationships, parenting experience, expectations, trauma awareness, discipline practices, cultural responsiveness, support system, health, finances, employment, transportation, ability to manage stress, willingness to support reunification, and ability to work cooperatively with birth families, relatives, DHR, courts, schools, healthcare providers, and service professionals.

Home Visits

The approving worker makes home visits during the assessment to observe the residence, meet household members, discuss the family's routines and relationships, and determine whether the property complies with Alabama foster-family standards. The home is reviewed for sleeping arrangements, fire safety, emergency exits, utilities, sanitation, medication and chemical storage, firearms, animals, pools and water hazards, transportation, and other potential risks. Additional visits may be required to verify repairs, obtain missing information, complete the assessment, or resolve safety concerns.

Topics Covered

• The family's motivation to foster or adopt
• Understanding that foster care is temporary and that reunification is often the initial goal
• Willingness to support the child's Individualized Service Plan and permanency goal
• Ability to support visitation and relationships with parents, siblings, relatives, and other important people
• Ability to work cooperatively with birth families and professional team members
• Family relationships, communication patterns, and conflict resolution
• Marital or partner stability when applicable
• The impact of fostering on biological, adopted, step, and other children in the household
• Parenting and caregiving history
• Knowledge of child development
• Understanding of abuse, neglect, trauma, grief, attachment, separation, and loss
• Discipline beliefs and ability to follow Alabama's prohibited-discipline rules
• Ability to understand behavior as an expression of children's needs
• Physical health and stamina
• Mental and emotional health
• Medication use when relevant to safe caregiving
• Alcohol, controlled-substance, and other substance-use history
• Domestic violence, relationship violence, or other household-safety concerns
• Criminal-history and child-abuse or neglect information
• Financial stability and household budgeting
• Employment arrangements and scheduling
• Childcare and substitute-care plans
• Reliable transportation
• Family, church, community, and other support systems
• Emergency and disaster planning
• Cultural, racial, ethnic, religious, linguistic, disability, sexual-orientation, and gender-identity awareness
• Confidentiality and protection of children's information
• Household members' attitudes and expectations concerning foster care
• Pets, firearms, pools, water hazards, smoking, vaping, and environmental risks
• Bedroom arrangements, beds, storage, privacy, and proposed household capacity
• Placement preferences concerning age, number of children, sibling groups, behaviors, medical needs, and level of care
• The family's strengths, limitations, training needs, and support needs
• Willingness to maintain records and cooperate with ongoing supervision and annual reapproval

Timeline

Alabama does not establish one guaranteed statewide timeframe for completing the family assessment. Timing depends on the TIPS schedule or Deciding Together consultation schedule, completion of forms and assignments, availability of household members, references, medical reports, background clearances, home visits, and correction of any unmet safety standards. The assessment is not complete until the approving worker has enough information to determine whether approval is in the best interests of children who may be placed in the home.

Bedroom Rules

The home must provide adequate approved sleeping space for every household member and child placed there. Foster children may not routinely sleep in kitchens, dining rooms, hallways, unfinished rooms, or other public living areas. Children over age 6 who are of opposite sexes must have separate sleeping rooms. Each foster child generally must have an individual bed with a clean mattress and suitable bedding, together with adequate storage for clothing and personal possessions. Limited bed-sharing or room-sharing exceptions may apply only when permitted by the Minimum Standards and appropriate for the children's ages, relationships, needs, and safety. Infants must sleep alone in an approved crib until at least 18 months of age.

Smoke Detectors

Working smoke alarms must be installed outside each separate sleeping area and within 10 feet of bedroom doors. Smoke alarms located in hallways outside sleeping areas may not be more than 30 feet apart. A smoke alarm is also required at the head of the stairway on each additional level of the home, including a basement. Carbon-monoxide detectors must be installed on each level of the residence, with at least one detector located near sleeping areas. Alarms and detectors must remain operational and be tested and maintained.

Fire Extinguisher

The home must have an operating dry-chemical fire extinguisher with a rating of at least 2A-10BC and a weight of at least 5 pounds. It must be readily accessible, visible, and positioned near an exit or escape route rather than stored where it cannot be quickly reached. Foster parents must also maintain an emergency evacuation plan and ensure that exits are accessible.

Medications

Prescription medications, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and other potentially harmful medical products must be stored so that foster children cannot access them. The method of protection must reflect the child's age, development, behavior, and known risks and may include locked cabinets, child-safety locks, high storage, child-resistant packaging, or other approved safeguards. Medications must be administered and documented according to the child's instructions and agency requirements.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products, pesticides, fuels, pool chemicals, alcohol, poisonous substances, tools, and other hazardous materials must be stored so they are inaccessible to children. The level of security must be appropriate to the age, abilities, and behavior of children in the home. Hazardous substances should remain properly labeled and may not be stored in food or beverage containers.

Firearms

Firearms, projectile weapons, bows, knives intended as weapons, and similar dangerous items must be unloaded, securely locked, and inaccessible to children. Ammunition must be stored separately from the weapons in locked storage. Keys, combinations, and access devices must remain under the control of an appropriate adult. The approving worker verifies the storage arrangement during the home assessment.

Pools

A swimming pool or other pool deeper than 2 feet must be enclosed on all sides by a barrier at least 4 feet high with a secured, locking gate. Doors, gates, or other access points leading to the pool must remain locked when the pool is not being used. Children in or around the pool require direct supervision. The supervising person must be at least 16 years old and have the required First Aid, CPR, pediatric CPR, and water-safety preparation. Alabama also applies additional supervision requirements based on children's ages, swimming abilities, and the number of children in the pool area.

Pets

Animals with a known history of aggressive behavior may not be kept in the foster home. Dogs, cats, and other animals legally required to receive rabies vaccinations must have current vaccination records. Reptiles, exotic animals, farm animals, and other animals that could create a health or safety concern must be appropriately confined and managed. Foster parents are responsible for supervising children's interactions with animals and maintaining sanitary animal areas.

Vehicle Requirements

Vehicles used to transport foster children must be legally registered, properly insured, safely maintained, and operated by a person with a valid driver's license. Each passenger must use an individual seat belt, car seat, booster seat, or other child-restraint system required by law and appropriate for the child's age and size. Foster parents must have a dependable plan for transportation to visitation, school, healthcare, counseling, court, childcare, activities, and emergencies.

Fingerprinting

Alabama requires fingerprint-based criminal-history background checks for foster-parent applicants and other covered adults residing in the home. Fingerprints are submitted for state and federal criminal-history review before approval may be granted. Additional fingerprint submissions may be required when a previous submission has expired or when required by changes in household composition.

Child Abuse Registry

Applicants, household members age 14 and older, certain adult roomers or boarders, and regular overnight visitors must complete Child Abuse and Neglect Central Registry clearances. Applicants who have lived in another state may also be required to complete child-protection clearances from previous states of residence.

Criminal History

The approving agency reviews Alabama and FBI criminal-history records together with any criminal history from other jurisdictions. Criminal history is evaluated alongside child-protection history, licensing history, references, interviews, and other information affecting child safety and suitability.

Disqualifying Offenses

Federal law and Alabama policy permanently prohibit approval for certain serious offenses, including homicide, specified crimes against children, sexual offenses, severe physical abuse, human trafficking, and other federally identified barrier crimes. Additional felony and misdemeanor convictions—including certain violent offenses, drug offenses, domestic-violence offenses, DUI-related offenses, or repeated criminal behavior—may also prevent approval or require an individualized suitability review under Alabama policy.

Additional Checks

The approving agency may review previous foster-care, adoption, childcare, adult-care, or other caregiving licenses; licensing actions in Alabama or other states; court records; military records when applicable; prior child-welfare involvement; references; and any additional information necessary to determine whether the home can safely care for children.

Steps

• Contact Alabama DHR or a licensed child-placing agency.
• Complete the initial inquiry and screening process.
• Attend orientation and begin TIPS or Deciding Together.
• Submit the foster-parent application.
• Complete all required medical and financial documentation.
• Submit fingerprinting and background-clearance forms.
• Provide required references.
• Participate in interviews and family consultations.
• Complete the written family assessment and home study.
• Complete all required home inspections.
• Correct any health or safety concerns identified during the inspection.
• Complete CPR, First Aid, and other required certifications.
• Receive approval as an Alabama foster family.
• Maintain annual reapproval requirements and ongoing training.

Average Timeline

Most Alabama approvals are completed in approximately three to six months, although Alabama does not guarantee a statewide approval timeline. Completion depends upon the training schedule, references, fingerprint processing, home-study completion, medical documentation, and correction of any licensing deficiencies.

Renewal Requirements

Foster-family homes are reapproved annually. Annual reapproval includes continued compliance with Alabama Minimum Standards, updated household information, review of the foster home's operation, completion of required annual training, maintenance of current CPR and First Aid certifications, and any required background or registry updates.

Ongoing Training

Approved foster parents must complete at least 15 hours of in-service training every approval year. Additional training may be required based upon the needs of children placed in the home, specialized-care approvals, therapeutic placements, medication administration, water safety, or other identified training needs.

How Placements Work

After approval, Alabama DHR considers each family's approved capacity, strengths, experience, location, preferences, and specialized training when matching children with foster homes. Placement decisions are based upon the child's safety, best interests, sibling relationships, educational stability, medical needs, behavioral needs, permanency plan, and the family's demonstrated ability to meet those needs.

Can Decline Placements

Yes. Foster parents may decline a placement they do not believe they can safely or appropriately meet. Applicants are encouraged to be honest regarding the types of children they feel prepared to parent. Declining an individual placement does not automatically affect approval status.

Emergency Placements

County DHR offices may request emergency placements when children must be removed immediately for their safety. Licensed foster homes may receive placement requests at any time. Relative and kinship caregivers may also receive emergency placements while working toward full approval when permitted by Alabama policy.

Sibling Groups

Alabama strongly encourages keeping siblings together whenever safely possible. Foster homes are generally approved for no more than six foster children; however, exceptions may be granted to preserve sibling groups when the home has sufficient space, resources, and demonstrated ability to safely care for the children.

Age Preferences

During the assessment process, foster parents identify the ages, number of children, sibling groups, medical conditions, developmental needs, behaviors, and levels of care they feel prepared to support. Placement decisions balance those preferences with each child's individual needs.

Monthly Board Rate

Approved foster parents receive a monthly foster-care maintenance payment to help offset the cost of caring for children placed in their home. Payment amounts vary according to the child's age, placement type, and level of care. Enhanced reimbursement may be available for therapeutic, medically fragile, or specialized-care placements. Current payment schedules should always be verified through Alabama DHR.

Clothing Allowance

The monthly foster-care maintenance payment includes an amount intended to assist with normal clothing expenses. Additional clothing assistance may be authorized in special circumstances, including emergency placements or children arriving with inadequate clothing.

Daycare Assistance

Childcare assistance may be available when necessary to support the child's placement and the foster parent's employment, education, or other approved activities. Eligibility and authorization are determined by DHR based upon the child's needs and applicable program requirements.

Medical Coverage

Children in Alabama foster care generally receive Medicaid coverage. Foster parents coordinate routine medical, dental, vision, behavioral-health, specialty-care, and emergency services through the child's assigned worker and healthcare providers.

Mileage Reimbursement

Mileage reimbursement may be available for approved transportation associated with the child's case plan, including visitation, court appearances, medical appointments, counseling, evaluations, and other approved travel. Documentation and prior approval requirements may apply depending upon the county and activity.

Additional Benefits

Depending upon the child's needs, foster families may receive specialized-care payments, respite services, training opportunities, transportation assistance, childcare assistance, behavioral-health consultation, educational supports, and other services authorized by DHR.

Respite Care

Respite care is available to provide temporary relief for foster families. Approved respite providers must meet Alabama requirements, and respite arrangements should be coordinated through the family's resource worker or county DHR office.

Support Groups

The Alabama Foster and Adoptive Parent Association, local foster-parent associations, county DHR offices, and licensed agencies provide support groups, educational events, conferences, and networking opportunities for foster families throughout the state.

Mentoring

Many counties and foster-parent associations connect experienced foster parents with newly approved families to provide mentoring, encouragement, practical guidance, and peer support during the first months of fostering.

Counseling

Behavioral-health and counseling services for foster children are coordinated through the child's caseworker, Medicaid providers, schools, community agencies, and other approved service providers. Foster parents also receive consultation and guidance regarding children's emotional and behavioral needs.

Crisis Support

Foster parents have access to assistance from their county DHR office, resource worker, the child's assigned caseworker, after-hours emergency contacts, and emergency services when immediate safety concerns arise. Foster parents are encouraged to promptly notify the child's team whenever significant behavioral, medical, placement, or safety concerns develop.

Available

Yes. Alabama approves families for foster care, adoption, or both, and an approved foster family may later be considered as an adoptive resource for a child placed in the home if adoption becomes the child's permanency plan. Foster parents should enter the process prepared to support reunification and the child's existing family relationships rather than expecting adoption.

Process

Children generally enter foster care with reunification as the initial permanency goal when reunification can be achieved safely. DHR also evaluates relatives, kin, guardianship, and other permanent family options. If parental rights are terminated or surrendered and adoption becomes the approved permanency plan, DHR determines which adoptive placement best meets the child's needs. A foster family caring for the child may express interest and may be considered based on the child's attachments, safety, sibling relationships, cultural and family connections, special needs, placement history, and best interests. Adoption of a specific foster child is never automatic.

Legal Risk

Foster care is temporary and does not guarantee adoption. A child may safely reunify with parents, move to relatives or kin, enter guardianship, or achieve another permanency outcome. Foster parents are expected to support the child's current Individualized Service Plan, visits, reunification services, and important family relationships throughout the case, even when they are willing to adopt if the plan later changes.

Adoption Subsidy

A child who meets Alabama's special-needs and eligibility requirements may qualify for adoption assistance. Assistance may include a negotiated monthly adoption subsidy, Medicaid when the child meets applicable eligibility requirements, reimbursement of approved non-recurring adoption expenses, and other services specified in the written adoption-assistance agreement. Eligibility and the assistance agreement must generally be established before the adoption is finalized.

Available

Yes. Alabama prioritizes safe placement with relatives and other people who have a significant family-like relationship with the child. Kinship caregivers may care for children either inside or outside the formal foster-care system, depending on custody, court involvement, DHR involvement, and the family's circumstances. Alabama also operates the Alabama Kinship Navigator as a statewide information and referral resource for relatives and other caregivers.

Licensing Differences

A relative or kin caregiver may be assessed quickly when a child needs immediate placement, but emergency placement does not necessarily mean the home is fully approved for ongoing foster-care payments. To become a fully approved related foster family home, the caregiver generally must complete the applicable application, family assessment, background clearances, home-safety requirements, preparation, and approval standards. Alabama policy provides that fully approved related and non-relative foster family homes receive equivalent foster-care maintenance payments for eligible placements.

Financial Support

Available support depends on the child's custody status, the caregiver's approval status, eligibility for foster-care maintenance payments, household income, and the permanency arrangement. Potential resources may include foster-care maintenance payments for fully approved homes, Medicaid or other health coverage for eligible children, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or child-only assistance, childcare assistance, food assistance, legal resources, and local support programs. Alabama also offers subsidized kinship guardianship for eligible children and approved related caregivers.

Can I become a foster parent in Alabama if I am single?

Yes. Alabama permits qualified single adults as well as married couples to become approved foster parents.

How old must I be to foster in Alabama?

A foster-parent applicant must be at least 19 years old. The agency also evaluates maturity, judgment, stability, and caregiving ability.

Do I have to own my home?

No. Applicants may rent or own a qualifying house, apartment, mobile home, or other residence as long as it meets Alabama's space, sanitation, sleeping, and safety standards.

Can foster parents work full time?

Yes. Employment does not automatically prevent approval. The family must have workable plans for childcare, supervision, transportation, family visits, appointments, school, court, emergencies, and the child's other needs.

How much training is required?

Applicants complete 30 hours of preservice preparation before approval. Approved foster parents must then complete at least 15 hours of in-service training during each approval year.

What is TIPS?

TIPS stands for Trauma Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanence. It is Alabama's group preparation and mutual-assessment process for prospective foster and adoptive parents and generally consists of ten meetings totaling 30 hours.

What is Deciding Together?

Deciding Together is Alabama's individualized preparation and assessment option for applicants who cannot participate in the standard TIPS group format. It includes at least seven family consultations and fulfills the 30-hour preservice requirement.

Can I foster if I have biological or adopted children?

Yes. Existing children do not prevent approval. The agency interviews or assesses household members as appropriate and considers how fostering may affect every child and adult in the family.

Can foster children share bedrooms?

Yes, when the arrangement complies with Alabama standards and is appropriate for the children's ages and needs. Children over age 6 who are of opposite sexes must have separate sleeping rooms, and each child generally must have an individual bed.

Can I foster babies?

Possibly. The family must be approved for the child's age and needs and meet infant-safety requirements. Infants must sleep alone in an approved crib until at least 18 months of age, and the caregivers must have the required infant and pediatric First Aid and CPR preparation.

Can I foster if I have pets?

Yes. Animals must be safe around children, appropriately supervised, and properly vaccinated when required. Animals with known aggressive behavior may not remain in the foster home.

Can I own firearms and still foster?

Yes. Weapons must be unloaded, locked, and inaccessible to children. Ammunition must be stored separately from the weapons in locked storage.

Can I choose the age or number of children I foster?

Applicants discuss their preferred ages, number of children, sibling groups, needs, and placement types during the assessment. Final placement decisions must remain within the home's approved capacity and consider the needs and best interests of each child.

Can I decline a placement?

Yes. Foster parents should ask questions and determine whether they can safely meet the child's needs before accepting. They should be honest with the placement worker when a proposed placement is outside their abilities, approval, or household capacity.

How many foster children can live in one Alabama foster home?

Alabama foster homes generally provide care for no more than six foster children at one time. An exception may sometimes be considered to preserve an eligible sibling group when the home has sufficient space and capacity.

Will I receive financial support?

Approved foster parents receive a maintenance payment intended to help cover the child's room, board, supervision, and daily needs. The amount varies by age, placement type, and level of care and should be confirmed with the approving agency.

Do children in Alabama foster care receive medical coverage?

Children in foster care generally receive Medicaid or other health coverage for which they are eligible. Foster parents coordinate healthcare and authorization procedures through the child's worker.

Can I adopt a child who is placed with me?

Possibly. If reunification, relative placement, and other permanency options are no longer appropriate and adoption becomes the child's permanency plan, the foster family may be considered. Placement in foster care does not guarantee adoption.

Do relative caregivers have to become licensed?

The answer depends on the placement and payment arrangement. Relatives may sometimes receive emergency placement before full approval, but full foster-family approval is generally required to receive foster-care maintenance payments as an approved relative foster home.

Does Alabama have a Foster Parent Bill of Rights?

Yes. Alabama law establishes rights for foster parents, including rights concerning respectful treatment, information, support, training, notice, participation, and communication, subject to the child's confidentiality and case circumstances.

State Agency

Alabama Department of Human Resources — Children and Family Services Division

Phone

Adoption and Foster Care Inquiry: 1-866-425-5437, also presented as 1-866-4-AL-KIDS

Email

Alabama DHR directs prospective foster and adoptive parents to use its online Adoption and Foster Care Inquiry form or contact the County Department of Human Resources serving their residence.

Address

Alabama Department of Human Resources, 50 North Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130