How to Become a Foster Parent in New York

Description

New York's foster care system provides temporary care for children who cannot safely remain in their homes due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or other family crises. Foster parents partner with local Departments of Social Services and authorized voluntary agencies to provide stable, nurturing homes while supporting reunification whenever possible. Foster families may also provide kinship care and adopt children when reunification is no longer possible.

Agency

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) oversees foster care regulations and licensing while local Departments of Social Services and authorized voluntary agencies recruit, certify, supervise, and support foster families.

Who Can Apply

New York welcomes qualified adults who are at least 21 years old and able to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home. Applicants may be single, married, divorced, widowed, or living with a partner and may rent or own their residence. Certification decisions focus on an applicant's ability to meet the needs of children.

Average Time To License

Most applicants complete the certification process within four to six months, although timelines vary depending upon agency workload, training schedules, completion of documentation, background checks, and the home study.

Website

Visit the official agency website

Minimum Age

Applicants must generally be at least 21 years old. There is no maximum age provided applicants are physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of caring for children.

Residency

Applicants must reside in New York and complete the certification process through a local Department of Social Services or an authorized voluntary foster care agency.

Marital Status

Applicants may be single, married, divorced, widowed, or living with a partner. Marital status alone does not determine eligibility.

Income Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient financial stability to meet their household's existing expenses without relying on foster care reimbursement payments. Foster care payments are intended to reimburse the costs of caring for foster children.

Home Ownership

Applicants may rent or own their residence. Apartments, houses, condominiums, duplexes, and manufactured homes may qualify if they meet New York certification standards for safety, sanitation, utilities, and adequate living space.

Bedroom Requirements

Children must have safe, age-appropriate sleeping arrangements and their own bed. Bedroom assignments must comply with New York regulations regarding age, gender, sibling relationships, privacy, and adequate living space.

Transportation

Applicants must have reliable transportation to meet children's educational, medical, counseling, visitation, extracurricular, and emergency needs. Drivers must maintain valid licenses, insurance, and appropriate child safety restraints.

Health Requirements

Applicants may be required to provide medical information demonstrating that physical or mental health conditions will not interfere with their ability to safely care for foster children.

Pet Policy

Pets are permitted provided they are healthy, appropriately vaccinated when required, safely supervised, and do not present an unreasonable danger to children placed in the home.

Firearm Policy

Firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows, and other dangerous weapons must be legally possessed and securely stored to prevent unauthorized access by children. Firearms should remain unloaded while stored, and ammunition should be secured separately whenever possible.

Contact Agency

Prospective foster parents begin by contacting their county Department of Social Services or an authorized voluntary foster care agency to express interest in becoming certified.

Attend Orientation

Applicants attend an informational orientation explaining New York's foster care system, certification requirements, training expectations, reunification, financial assistance, and the responsibilities of foster parents.

Choose Agency

Applicants work with either their local social services department or an authorized foster care agency throughout the certification process. Agency staff help applicants determine the types of children and placements that best fit their family.

Documents Needed

• Completed foster parent application
• Government-issued identification
• Birth certificates when requested
• Marriage certificate if applicable
• Social Security numbers
• Background screening authorization forms
• Medical examination forms
• Employment verification
• Income documentation
• Personal references
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Emergency contact information
• Pet vaccination records when applicable
• Additional documentation requested by the certifying agency

Required

Yes

Description

New York requires prospective foster parents to attend orientation before beginning the certification process. Orientation introduces applicants to trauma-informed care, child development, abuse and neglect, foster parent responsibilities, confidentiality, permanency planning, cultural competency, reunification, and available support services.

How To Register

Orientation is scheduled after applicants contact their county Department of Social Services or an authorized foster care agency. Agency staff provide available orientation dates and explain the next steps toward certification.

Duration

Orientation is generally completed before applicants begin pre-service training and the comprehensive home study process.

Application Process

Following orientation, applicants complete the foster parent application, authorize background screenings, provide required documentation, complete pre-service training, participate in interviews and home study visits, undergo home safety inspections, and work with agency staff until certification is approved.

Required Documents

• Completed foster parent application
• Government-issued identification
• Background screening authorization forms
• Medical examination forms
• Employment and income verification
• Personal references
• Marriage certificate if applicable
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Emergency contact information
• Pet vaccination records when applicable
• Additional documentation requested by the certifying agency

References Required

Applicants provide personal references who can evaluate their character, parenting abilities, emotional stability, reliability, relationships, and overall suitability to become foster parents.

Interview Process

Certification workers interview applicants and household members regarding family history, parenting philosophy, discipline practices, finances, health, trauma awareness, support systems, placement preferences, motivation to foster, cultural competency, and readiness to work with birth families and child welfare professionals.

Required

Yes

Curriculum

New York requires prospective foster parents to complete pre-service training before certification. Most agencies utilize MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) or another OCFS-approved curriculum. Training prepares families to understand trauma, attachment, child development, grief and loss, positive discipline, abuse and neglect, permanency planning, cultural competency, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and effective partnerships with birth families and child welfare professionals.

Required Hours

Applicants complete the pre-service training program required by their certifying agency before foster parent certification is approved. Most agencies provide approximately 30 hours of classroom instruction through MAPP or another approved curriculum.

Online Available

Many New York agencies offer virtual or hybrid training options. Availability varies by county and authorized foster care agency.

Certification

Successful completion of pre-service training is one requirement for certification. Applicants must also complete the home study, background screenings, interviews, reference checks, medical documentation, and home safety inspection before certification is granted.

Required

Yes

Interviews

A certification worker conducts multiple interviews with applicants and household members to evaluate family relationships, parenting philosophy, discipline practices, emotional readiness, financial stability, health, support systems, trauma awareness, cultural competency, and willingness to support reunification and permanency planning.

Home Visits

Certification workers conduct home visits to evaluate safety, cleanliness, adequate living space, sleeping arrangements, utilities, emergency preparedness, neighborhood suitability, and overall compliance with New York foster home certification standards.

Topics Covered

• Motivation for becoming foster parents
• Understanding foster care as temporary care
• Commitment to reunification
• Family history
• Parenting experience
• Discipline philosophy
• Trauma-informed parenting
• Attachment and child development
• Grief and loss
• Ability to care for children with special needs
• Medical and mental health history
• Substance use history
• Employment and financial stability
• Transportation
• Support systems
• Emergency planning
• Cultural competency
• Supporting children's religious and cultural identity
• Working with birth families
• Confidentiality
• Educational advocacy
• Medical advocacy
• Firearm and weapon safety
• Pet safety
• Household hazards
• Bedroom arrangements
• Placement preferences
• Household strengths and challenges

Timeline

The home study is completed alongside pre-service training, background screenings, reference checks, documentation review, and home inspections. The overall certification process generally takes four to six months.

Bedroom Rules

Each foster child must have their own bed and appropriate sleeping space. Bedroom arrangements must provide adequate privacy, comply with age and gender requirements, and meet New York certification standards regarding occupancy and available living space.

Smoke Detectors

Working smoke detectors must be installed throughout the home according to applicable fire safety requirements and remain operational throughout certification.

Fire Extinguisher

Homes should maintain appropriate fire safety equipment, including fire extinguishers where required by the certifying agency or local fire code, along with a family emergency evacuation plan.

Medications

Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, controlled substances, and medical supplies must be securely stored and inaccessible to children whenever necessary for child safety.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products, chemicals, poisons, pesticides, fuels, alcohol, sharp tools, and other hazardous materials must be safely secured and inaccessible to children.

Firearms

Firearms, ammunition, bows, crossbows, and other dangerous weapons must be legally owned and securely locked to prevent child access. Firearms should remain unloaded while stored, with ammunition stored separately.

Pools

Swimming pools, hot tubs, ponds, and other bodies of water must be properly secured through fencing, locked gates, covers, alarms, supervision plans, or other safety measures required by state regulations and local ordinances.

Pets

Household pets are permitted provided they are healthy, safely supervised, vaccinated when appropriate, and do not present a danger to foster children.

Vehicle Requirements

Vehicles used to transport foster children must be legally registered, properly insured, maintained in safe operating condition, and equipped with age-appropriate child restraint systems. Drivers must maintain valid driver's licenses.

Fingerprinting

All applicants and adult household members must complete fingerprint-based criminal history checks through New York State and the FBI before certification.

Child Abuse Registry

Applicants and adult household members must complete Statewide Central Register (SCR) child abuse and maltreatment database checks. Additional child abuse registry checks may be required for previous states of residence.

Criminal History

Certification agencies review criminal history, child abuse records, prior foster care licensing history, and other records relevant to applicant suitability and child safety.

Disqualifying Offenses

Certain felony convictions involving child abuse, neglect, domestic violence, homicide, sexual offenses, serious drug offenses, violent crimes, or other offenses identified by federal or state law may permanently disqualify applicants. Other convictions may be evaluated individually based upon the circumstances, rehabilitation, and potential risk to children.

Additional Checks

Additional reviews may include driving records, medical evaluations, employment verification, personal references, home inspections, financial documentation, and interviews with all household members.

Steps

• Contact a local Department of Social Services or authorized foster care agency.
• Attend foster parent orientation.
• Submit the foster parent application.
• Provide required documentation.
• Complete fingerprinting and background screenings.
• Complete child abuse registry checks.
• Submit medical documentation.
• Provide personal references.
• Complete pre-service training.
• Participate in interviews.
• Complete the comprehensive home study.
• Pass home safety inspections.
• Correct any identified safety concerns.
• Receive foster parent certification.
• Discuss approved capacity and placement preferences.
• Complete ongoing annual training and recertification requirements.

Average Timeline

Most applicants complete certification within approximately four to six months, although timelines vary depending upon agency workload, training schedules, documentation, and background screening completion.

Renewal Requirements

New York foster homes must complete periodic recertification. This includes updated home visits, background screenings when required, continuing education, updated documentation, and continued compliance with OCFS certification standards.

Ongoing Training

Certified foster parents must complete ongoing annual training to maintain certification. Continuing education commonly covers trauma-informed care, behavior management, medical issues, permanency planning, cultural competency, educational advocacy, and policy updates.

How Placements Work

Once certified, foster parents receive placement calls from their supervising agency. Placement decisions consider the child's age, needs, sibling relationships, school stability, cultural background, proximity to birth family, and the foster family's approved capacity, experience, and preferences.

Can Decline Placements

Yes. Foster parents may decline placements they believe they cannot safely or successfully support. Families are encouraged to ask about medical needs, behaviors, medications, visitation schedules, educational needs, trauma history, and available services before accepting whenever possible.

Emergency Placements

New York utilizes emergency foster homes when children require immediate protection. Emergency placements may occur with limited background information, with additional records becoming available after placement.

Sibling Groups

New York makes every reasonable effort to place siblings together whenever it is safe and appropriate. When siblings cannot live together, agencies work to maintain their relationships through visitation, communication, and coordinated permanency planning.

Age Preferences

Applicants identify the ages, number of children, sibling groups, medical needs, disabilities, behavioral needs, and placement types they feel prepared to support. Certification reflects the family's approved capacity and placement preferences.

Monthly Board Rate

Certified New York foster parents receive monthly board payments to help cover the cost of caring for children placed in their homes. Payment rates are established by New York State and administered by local social services districts. Payments vary according to the child's age, county of placement, and level of care, with additional rates available for children requiring exceptional, special, or therapeutic care.

Clothing Allowance

New York provides clothing allowances for children entering foster care. Initial clothing allowances may be available when children enter care without adequate clothing, and ongoing clothing allowances may be provided according to state and county policies.

Daycare Assistance

Childcare assistance may be available when necessary to allow foster parents to maintain employment, attend school or training, participate in required foster care activities, or meet the child's case plan. Services are coordinated through the local social services district or supervising agency.

Medical Coverage

Children placed in foster care receive comprehensive medical coverage through New York Medicaid. Benefits generally include physician services, hospitalization, behavioral health treatment, counseling, dental care, vision care, prescriptions, therapy services, and medically necessary specialty care. Foster parents are generally not expected to add foster children to their private insurance.

Mileage Reimbursement

Local social services districts or supervising agencies may reimburse approved transportation expenses related to the child's case plan, including medical appointments, counseling, visitation with family, educational activities, court appearances, and other authorized travel. Reimbursement policies vary by county and agency.

Additional Benefits

Additional assistance may include respite care, childcare assistance, tutoring, educational advocacy, behavioral health services, interpreter services, independent living support, recreational assistance, transportation support, and specialized services based upon the child's individual needs.

Respite Care

New York offers respite care to provide certified foster parents with temporary relief while maintaining placement stability. Respite providers must generally meet agency approval requirements.

Support Groups

Many counties and authorized foster care agencies sponsor foster parent support groups, educational workshops, networking opportunities, conferences, and peer support meetings throughout the year.

Mentoring

Some foster care agencies pair newly certified foster parents with experienced foster parent mentors who provide guidance regarding placements, documentation, trauma-informed parenting, court involvement, and working with birth families.

Counseling

Children receive access to trauma-informed counseling, behavioral health treatment, psychiatric services, occupational therapy, speech therapy, developmental services, substance use treatment, family therapy, and other medically necessary supports. Foster parents receive assistance coordinating these services.

Crisis Support

Certified foster parents have access to emergency assistance through local Departments of Social Services, authorized foster care agencies, caseworkers, supervisors, behavioral health professionals, and after-hours emergency contacts to help stabilize placements during crises.

Available

Yes. New York supports foster-to-adopt placements when reunification and other permanency options are no longer appropriate. Many foster families eventually adopt children who cannot safely return home.

Process

Families complete the standard foster parent certification process before accepting foster placements. Throughout foster care, families support reunification efforts whenever appropriate. If parental rights are terminated or another permanency plan is approved, the foster family may be considered as the child's adoptive family when adoption is determined to be in the child's best interests.

Legal Risk

Yes. Foster care always carries legal risk because reunification with parents remains the primary goal for most children entering care. Foster families should understand that adoption is never guaranteed.

Adoption Subsidy

Many children adopted from New York foster care qualify for adoption subsidy benefits. Eligible families may receive monthly financial assistance, Medicaid coverage, reimbursement of certain nonrecurring adoption expenses, and additional post-adoption support services depending upon the child's needs.

Available

Yes. New York strongly encourages placement with suitable relatives and fictive kin whenever safe and appropriate. Kinship placements help preserve family relationships, cultural identity, school stability, and community connections whenever possible.

Licensing Differences

Relatives may sometimes receive expedited approval or temporary placement while completing certification requirements. New York also allows approved kinship caregivers to become fully certified foster parents in order to receive the same financial assistance, training, and support services available to other certified foster families. Certain non-safety standards may be reviewed individually when permitted by state policy.

Financial Support

Certified kinship foster parents generally receive the same board payments, Medicaid coverage for children, training opportunities, respite care, and support services available to other certified foster parents. Depending upon the child's legal status, relatives may also qualify for KinGAP (Kinship Guardianship Assistance Program), adoption assistance, childcare assistance, transportation assistance, and additional county-based support services.

Can I become a foster parent if I am single?

Yes. New York welcomes qualified single adults, married couples, unmarried couples, divorced individuals, and widowed individuals. Certification decisions are based on an applicant's ability to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home.

How old do I have to be?

Applicants must generally be at least 21 years old to become certified foster parents in New York.

Do I have to own my home?

No. Applicants may rent or own their residence as long as the home meets all certification standards for safety, sanitation, and adequate living space.

Can I work outside the home?

Yes. Many certified foster parents work full-time or part-time. Applicants must demonstrate that they can provide appropriate supervision, transportation, and care for foster children.

Do I need to have children of my own?

No. Many successful foster parents have never raised biological or adopted children before becoming foster parents.

Is there a minimum income requirement?

There is no specific minimum income requirement. Applicants must demonstrate that they can meet their household's financial obligations without depending upon foster care reimbursement payments.

What background checks are required?

Applicants and adult household members complete fingerprint-based criminal background checks, Statewide Central Register child abuse and maltreatment screenings, and any additional checks required by New York State or the certifying agency.

Will a criminal conviction automatically disqualify me?

Not necessarily. Certain felony convictions permanently disqualify applicants, while other offenses may be reviewed individually based on the offense, rehabilitation, and potential risk to children.

Is pre-service training required?

Yes. Applicants must complete the pre-service training program required by their certifying agency before becoming certified foster parents.

Is a home study required?

Yes. Every applicant completes a comprehensive home study including interviews, home visits, references, background screenings, and safety inspections.

How long does certification take?

The certification process commonly takes approximately four to six months depending upon training schedules, background checks, documentation, and agency workload.

How often must foster parents renew certification?

Foster parents complete periodic recertification, including updated home studies, documentation, background reviews when required, and continuing education.

Is ongoing training required?

Yes. Certified foster parents complete annual continuing education required by OCFS and their supervising agency.

Can I have pets?

Yes. Pets are allowed provided they are healthy, properly supervised, vaccinated when appropriate, and do not pose a safety risk to foster children.

Can I own firearms?

Yes. Firearms and ammunition must be legally possessed and securely stored in accordance with New York certification requirements.

Can foster children share bedrooms?

Yes. Bedroom arrangements must comply with New York requirements regarding age, gender, privacy, available space, and each child's individual needs.

Can I choose which children I foster?

Yes. Families identify the ages, number of children, sibling groups, medical conditions, behavioral needs, and placement types they are prepared to support.

Can I decline a placement?

Yes. Foster parents may decline placements they do not believe they can safely or successfully support.

Will I know everything about a child before placement?

Agencies share all available information before placement whenever possible. Emergency placements sometimes occur before complete information has been gathered.

Does New York try to keep siblings together?

Yes. Whenever safe and appropriate, New York makes every effort to place siblings together and preserve sibling relationships.

Does New York prioritize relatives?

Yes. Suitable relatives and fictive kin are given strong consideration whenever they can safely meet the child's needs.

Can relatives become certified foster parents?

Yes. Relative caregivers may become fully certified foster parents and receive the same training, financial assistance, and support services available to other foster families.

Am I expected to support reunification?

Yes. Reunification with parents is the primary permanency goal for most children entering foster care, and foster parents are expected to support that goal whenever it is safe and appropriate.

Will I receive financial assistance?

Yes. Certified foster parents receive monthly board payments and may qualify for additional assistance depending on the child's needs and local policies.

Do foster children receive medical insurance?

Yes. Children in foster care receive comprehensive medical coverage through New York Medicaid.

Is respite care available?

Yes. Respite care may be available through local departments of social services and authorized foster care agencies.

Can I adopt a child placed in my home?

Possibly. If reunification and other permanency options are no longer appropriate, the foster family may be considered as the child's adoptive family when adoption is determined to be in the child's best interests.

Does fostering guarantee adoption?

No. Foster care is intended to provide temporary care while families work toward reunification whenever possible.

Is adoption assistance available?

Yes. Many children adopted from foster care qualify for adoption subsidy benefits, including financial assistance, Medicaid coverage, and reimbursement of certain adoption expenses.

How do I report suspected child abuse or neglect?

Call the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment at 1-800-342-3720. If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

State Agency

New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)

Phone

1-800-345-KIDS (5437)

Email

[email protected]

Address

52 Washington Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144