How to Become a Foster Parent in Oregon

Description

Foster care in Oregon provides temporary, safe, stable, and supportive family-based care for children and young adults who cannot safely remain in their own homes. Oregon generally refers to foster caregivers as Resource Parents because they serve as a resource to children and their families while parents receive services and work toward reunification. Resource Parents provide daily care, supervision, transportation, educational advocacy, healthcare coordination, emotional support, normal childhood experiences, and connections to family, siblings, culture, community, and identity while participating as members of the child's case-planning and permanency team.

Agency

The Oregon Department of Human Services, commonly called ODHS, administers the state's public child-welfare and foster-care system through its Child Welfare Division and local Child Welfare offices. ODHS certifies Resource Parents, Relative Resource Parents, child-specific caregivers, respite providers, pre-adoptive families, and guardians. Every Child Oregon partners with ODHS to answer initial questions, recruit prospective families, and connect interested individuals with local Retention and Recruitment Champions and certification staff. Private child-placing and therapeutic foster-care agencies may recruit, certify, train, and support families for specialized programs under applicable Oregon requirements.

Who Can Apply

Qualified Oregon adults from many family structures and backgrounds may apply. Applicants may be single, married, cohabitating, or in a domestic partnership; may rent or own their residence; may work inside or outside the home or attend school; and may have a disability when they can safely meet a child's needs with or without reasonable accommodation. A standard newly certified Resource Parent must generally be at least 21 years old. An applicant between ages 18 and 20 may be approved as a Relative Resource Parent in limited circumstances. Applicants must demonstrate financial stability, good judgment, emotional maturity, responsible household functioning, adequate physical capacity, sufficient space, safe caregiving practices, and the ability to support children and families affected by trauma, abuse, neglect, separation, grief, and loss.

Average Time To License

ODHS reports that the certification process usually takes about four to six months. Applicants first connect with Every Child Oregon or a local ODHS representative, complete orientation and prerequisite courses, participate in RAFT when required, and submit an application. A certifier then completes the SAFE home study, interviews household members, conducts background checks on covered adults, reviews references and supporting documents, and performs at least two visits and a safety assessment of the home, surrounding property, buildings, and other relevant environmental conditions. Delays may result from incomplete paperwork, out-of-state records, background-review concerns, training availability, household changes, or required safety corrections.

Website

Visit the official agency website

Minimum Age

A newly certified Oregon Resource Parent or adoptive resource must generally be at least 21 years old. A Child Welfare Program Manager or designee may approve an applicant who is 18, 19, or 20 years old to become a Relative Resource Parent. An exception may also apply when placement is consistent with the preferences of the Indian Child Welfare Act and Oregon's rules concerning placement of Indian children.

Residency

Applicants generally apply through the ODHS Child Welfare office serving the community in which they reside, and the proposed home must be available for assessment, certification, inspection, monitoring, and renewal. An applicant seeking certification through an office outside the county of residence may require additional administrative approval. ODHS may request criminal-history, child-abuse, foster-care, adoption, licensing, or other records from every state, Tribe, territory, or jurisdiction in which an applicant or household member previously lived.

Marital Status

Oregon accepts qualified single adults, married couples, registered domestic partners, and cohabitating partners. When two adults are married, registered domestic partners, or cohabitating, both generally must apply and participate in the certification process. Limited exceptions may apply when one partner is stationed outside Oregon through military service or has only limited responsibility for household management and the care of children placed in the home. ODHS evaluates the stability, communication, functioning, and safety of the applicants' relationship and household.

Income Requirements

Applicants must have financial resources sufficient to support themselves and their existing household without depending on foster-care maintenance payments. ODHS may review employment, income, benefits, debts, monthly expenses, housing costs, insurance, bankruptcy history, and other financial information during the SAFE home study. Foster-care reimbursements are intended to pay for the needs of a child or young adult placed in the home and are not wages or a substitute for the family's regular income.

Home Ownership

Applicants are not required to own their residence. A rented or owned house, apartment, condominium, manufactured home, or other suitable dwelling may qualify when it provides adequate space, utilities, sanitation, privacy, safe sleeping arrangements, emergency exits, and protection from environmental hazards. Renters should confirm that their lease, landlord, occupancy limits, and property rules permit additional household members and any safety modifications required by ODHS.

Bedroom Requirements

The home must provide each child or young adult with a safe, clean, developmentally appropriate sleeping space, an individual bed or approved crib, suitable bedding, reasonable privacy, and storage for clothing and personal belongings. Sleeping arrangements are evaluated according to each child's age, sex, gender identity, developmental level, sibling relationships, trauma history, behaviors, medical needs, and personal preferences. A child generally may not share a bedroom with an adult unless the arrangement is developmentally appropriate, necessary for the child's care, and approved by ODHS. Bedrooms must not be used as passageways and must provide appropriate ventilation, heat, light, and emergency egress.

Transportation

Applicants must have a reliable transportation plan for family time, school, childcare, medical and dental appointments, counseling, court proceedings, cultural and religious activities, recreation, case meetings, services, and emergencies. Anyone transporting a child must have a valid driver's license and use a safely maintained, legally registered, and adequately insured vehicle. Children must be secured with seat belts, car seats, booster seats, and other passenger restraints required by Oregon law and the child's age, size, and needs.

Health Requirements

Applicants and household members must be physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of maintaining a safe and stable home and meeting the needs of children placed there. ODHS may request health questionnaires, medical statements, releases, treatment information, medication information, functional assessments, or professional evaluations when a health condition could affect supervision, caregiving, judgment, household stability, or child safety. A disability or medical diagnosis does not automatically disqualify an applicant, and ODHS must consider reasonable accommodations when applicable.

Pet Policy

Pets, livestock, and other animals are permitted when they are safely maintained and do not present an unreasonable health or safety risk to children. ODHS may review vaccination and licensing records, animal temperament, prior incidents, supervision practices, sanitation, fencing, enclosures, food and waste storage, and the family's plan for safely introducing children to animals. Animals with aggressive behavior or a history of injury may require additional safeguards or may affect approval.

Firearm Policy

Firearms, ammunition, bows, knives, and other weapons must be legally possessed and stored so children cannot access them. Firearms must be unloaded and secured in a locked container, gun safe, or other approved locked location. Ammunition must also be locked and ordinarily stored separately from firearms. Keys, combinations, and access devices must remain unavailable to children. ODHS may require additional safety measures based on the weapon, household circumstances, or needs and behaviors of a child placed in the home.

Contact Agency

Complete the Every Child Oregon Connect form or call 800-331-0503 to ask questions and be connected with the Oregon Department of Human Services representative serving your community. Prospective applicants may also contact a local ODHS Child Welfare office or a Resource Family Retention and Recruitment Champion directly. Relatives, family friends, Tribal members, or individuals with a significant prior relationship to a specific child should contact the child's caseworker or the Child Welfare office responsible for the child's case.

Attend Orientation

Applicants complete the appropriate ODHS orientation video series before proceeding with the full certification process. Non-relative applicants complete the Orientation for Non-Relatives, while relative applicants complete the Orientation for Relatives. Orientation explains Oregon's foster-care system, the role of Resource Parents, reunification, family and sibling connections, permanency, certification requirements, training, background checks, the SAFE home study, and the effect fostering may have on the entire household.

Choose Agency

Applicants may pursue certification directly through ODHS Child Welfare or through an approved Oregon child-placing or therapeutic foster-care agency. ODHS certifies general Resource Parents and Relative Resource Parents for children in state custody. Private agencies may serve children who require therapeutic care, specialized behavioral or medical services, higher levels of supervision, or culturally specific support. Training, placement populations, reimbursement, respite, and ongoing expectations may differ by agency.

Documents Needed

• Completed Oregon Resource Family application
• Government-issued identification
• Social Security numbers or other identifying information
• Information identifying all household members
• Current and previous residential-address history
• Background screening authorization forms
• Fingerprint submissions when required
• Child-abuse and neglect registry authorization forms
• Out-of-state background records when applicable
• Personal references
• Employment verification
• Income and household-expense documentation
• Medical and health information requested by ODHS
• Marriage, partnership, divorce, or separation records when applicable
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Emergency contact information
• Childcare and supervision plans
• Emergency evacuation and disaster plans
• Bedroom and sleeping-arrangement information
• Pet vaccination or veterinary records when applicable
• Information concerning firearms, pools, and other household hazards
• Orientation and required training completion records
• Additional documentation requested by ODHS or the certifying agency

Required

Yes

Description

Oregon requires prospective Resource Parents to complete an orientation appropriate to their placement role. The orientation introduces applicants to the purpose of foster care, the experiences of children and families involved with Child Welfare, trauma and loss, reunification, family and sibling relationships, identity, permanency, mandatory reporting, safe sleep, certification standards, the SAFE home study, and collaboration with ODHS and the child's family and professional team.

How To Register

Applicants register after connecting with Every Child Oregon, a local Resource Family Retention and Recruitment Champion, an ODHS certification worker, or an approved private agency. Each applicant creates an individual Workday Learning account and completes the appropriate relative or non-relative orientation series so ODHS can accurately document participation.

Duration

Orientation is delivered as a multi-part video series rather than one fixed statewide classroom session. Non-relative applicants generally complete five orientation parts, while relative applicants generally complete four. Orientation is separate from Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training, Safe Sleep Practices training, and the full Resource and Adoptive Family Training curriculum.

Application Process

After completing the initial orientation and beginning required training, applicants receive and submit the Oregon Resource Family application. ODHS or the certifying agency assigns a certifier who completes the SAFE, or Structured Analysis Family Evaluation, home study. The certifier reviews supporting records, contacts references, completes criminal and child-abuse background checks, interviews household members, conducts home visits, evaluates the residence and surrounding property for safety, and assesses the family's strengths, needs, and readiness. When all requirements are satisfied, ODHS may issue a Certificate of Approval valid for up to two years.

Required Documents

• Completed Oregon Resource Family application
• Government-issued identification
• Information identifying all adults and children residing in the home
• Current and prior residential-address history
• Criminal-background-check authorization forms
• Fingerprint submissions when required
• Child-abuse and neglect background-check authorization forms
• Out-of-state background checks when applicable
• Personal references
• Employment and income verification
• Household budget and financial-stability information
• Marriage, partnership, divorce, or separation information when applicable
• Physical and mental health information requested by ODHS
• Information concerning prior child-welfare involvement when applicable
• Information concerning criminal or legal history when applicable
• Driver's license
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Emergency contact information
• Childcare and supervision plans
• Alternate-caregiver and respite plans
• Emergency evacuation and disaster plans
• Household floor plan and sleeping arrangements when requested
• Water, sewage, heating, sanitation, or utility records when applicable
• Pet vaccination or veterinary records when applicable
• Information concerning firearms, pools, and other environmental hazards
• Orientation completion documentation
• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training documentation
• Safe Sleep Practices training documentation
• RAFT completion documentation when required
• Additional records, releases, evaluations, or safety plans requested by ODHS

References Required

Applicants provide personal references who can discuss their character, judgment, maturity, reliability, relationships, parenting or caregiving abilities, household stability, and suitability to care for children. ODHS may request additional references or contact other individuals familiar with the applicants when necessary to complete the assessment.

Interview Process

The SAFE home study includes interviews with every applicant and household member. The certifier evaluates motivation, family history, significant relationships, household functioning, parenting experience, discipline practices, trauma awareness, physical and emotional health, substance-use history, finances, employment, transportation, support systems, cultural responsiveness, placement preferences, and ability to support reunification and children's family connections. Applicants may be interviewed jointly and separately, and children in the household are interviewed in an age-appropriate manner.

Required

Yes

Curriculum

Oregon uses Resource and Adoptive Family Training, commonly called RAFT, as its primary preservice curriculum for non-relative Resource Parents. RAFT prepares applicants to understand Oregon's child-welfare system, trauma-informed caregiving, why children enter foster care, reunification and permanency planning, attachment, separation, grief and loss, child development, identity, culture, family connections, parenting children with challenging behaviors, de-escalation, discipline, normalcy, confidentiality, mandatory reporting, safe sleep, teamwork, and the Resource Parent's role in supporting children and their families. Applicants must complete the appropriate orientation series, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training, and Safe Sleep Practices training before beginning RAFT.

Required Hours

ODHS currently offers RAFT in instructor-led and self-paced formats. The total duration depends on the delivery option and current ODHS course structure. Non-relative Resource Parents must complete RAFT before standard certification. Relative Resource Parents are generally not required to complete the full RAFT curriculum but are strongly encouraged to participate. Certified non-relative Resource Parents must complete 30 hours of approved continuing education during each two-year certification period, and RAFT may count toward that requirement during the first certification period.

Online Available

Yes. Oregon offers RAFT through live virtual or in-person instruction and provides self-paced online learning through Workday Learning. Orientation, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse, Safe Sleep Practices, renewal courses, and many continuing-education subjects are also available online. Each applicant or caregiver must maintain an individual training account so ODHS can document completion. Interviews, background checks, the SAFE home study, and physical inspection of the residence cannot be completed solely through online training.

Certification

Applicants must complete the appropriate orientation series, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training, Safe Sleep Practices training, and RAFT when required before receiving standard certification. ODHS may require additional training based on the ages, conditions, behaviors, identities, or individual needs of children the family expects to serve. Child-specific instruction may include CPR and First Aid, medication administration, safe transportation, infant care, medically complex care, developmental disabilities, behavioral support, de-escalation, suicide prevention, sexualized behaviors, substance-use concerns, affirming care, culturally responsive parenting, or other specialized competencies.

Required

Yes

Interviews

Oregon requires applicants to complete a SAFE, or Structured Analysis Family Evaluation, home study. The certifier interviews every applicant and all household members. Married, partnered, or cohabitating applicants may be interviewed together and separately, and children residing in the home are interviewed in a developmentally appropriate manner. Interviews assess motivation, family history, relationships, household functioning, parenting experience, discipline, trauma awareness, physical and emotional health, financial stability, substance-use history, support systems, cultural responsiveness, placement preferences, and the family's capacity to safely care for children and support reunification and permanency.

Home Visits

The SAFE assessment includes at least two visits to the applicant's home. The certifier examines the residence, surrounding property, buildings, bedrooms, sleeping arrangements, exits, utilities, sanitation, heating, water supply, smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms, medications, hazardous materials, firearms, animals, vehicles, pools, water features, recreational equipment, and other conditions that may affect child safety. Additional visits may be required to complete interviews, assess household members, verify documentation, inspect alterations, review child-specific needs, or confirm that identified safety concerns have been corrected.

Topics Covered

• Applicants' reasons and motivation for becoming Resource Parents
• Understanding that foster care is generally temporary
• Understanding that reunification is the primary permanency plan for most children
• Ability to support parents and families working toward reunification
• Ability to support concurrent and alternative permanency plans
• Ability to cooperate with ODHS, courts, attorneys, Tribes, schools, healthcare providers, therapists, relatives, and service professionals
• Applicants' childhood experiences and family histories
• Current household relationships, communication, and conflict resolution
• Marital, domestic-partnership, cohabitating, or significant-relationship stability
• The anticipated effect of foster care on every household member
• Children already living in the home and their feelings about fostering
• Previous parenting, childcare, foster-care, adoption, guardianship, or caregiving experience
• Parenting philosophy and expectations of children
• Knowledge of child and adolescent development
• Understanding abuse, neglect, trauma, attachment, separation, grief, and loss
• Ability to provide trauma-informed, relationship-based care
• Discipline methods and prohibited forms of punishment
• Ability to respond safely to challenging, aggressive, self-harming, or trauma-related behavior
• Ability to provide supervision, structure, consistency, nurture, and appropriate boundaries
• Ability to preserve a child's relationships with parents, siblings, relatives, Tribe, culture, and community
• Ability to support family time, transportation, communication, and case-plan activities
• Physical health and functional ability to provide daily care
• Mental and emotional health
• Medication, counseling, hospitalization, or treatment history relevant to caregiving
• Alcohol, cannabis, controlled-substance, nicotine, and other substance-use history
• Domestic violence, restraining orders, stalking, or household-safety concerns
• Criminal-history and child-abuse background information
• Applicants' honesty and willingness to disclose relevant history
• Financial stability, income, debts, expenses, and budgeting
• Employment, education, childcare, and daily household schedules
• Transportation resources and ability to attend appointments, school, and family time
• Emergency caregivers, respite providers, and backup supervision plans
• Emergency preparedness, evacuation, fire, severe-weather, and disaster planning
• Extended-family, community, faith-community, peer, and professional support systems
• Race, ethnicity, culture, language, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression
• Ability to provide affirming care and preserve each child's personal identity
• Understanding historical, racial, cultural, and intergenerational trauma
• Ability to care for Indian children consistently with federal and Oregon Indian child-welfare requirements
• Ability to respect Tribal relationships, customs, placement preferences, and cultural practices
• Protection of confidential and sensitive information
• Ability to follow the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard
• Ability to provide normal childhood and adolescent activities
• Ability to advocate for educational, medical, dental, behavioral-health, and developmental needs
• Pets, livestock, firearms, pools, water hazards, smoking, vaping, cannabis, and other environmental risks
• Bedroom arrangements, individual beds, privacy, storage, and proposed household capacity
• Accessibility needs and reasonable accommodations
• Placement preferences concerning age, sibling groups, behavior, medical needs, developmental disabilities, identity, and level of care
• The family's strengths, vulnerabilities, limitations, and training or support needs
• Ability to maintain records and promptly report required information
• Ability to cooperate with certification monitoring, renewal, investigations, and corrective action

Timeline

ODHS states that the certification and SAFE home-study process usually takes approximately four to six months. The timeline depends on the family's completion of prerequisite training and RAFT, submission of a complete application, availability for interviews and home visits, reference responses, fingerprint processing, criminal and child-abuse background checks, out-of-state record requests, health or financial documentation, and correction of identified home-safety concerns. Relative or emergency child-specific certifications may follow different or expedited timelines permitted by Oregon law.

Bedroom Rules

Each child or young adult must have an individual bed, approved crib, or other developmentally appropriate sleeping arrangement with a safe mattress and clean bedding. Bedrooms must provide sufficient space, heat, ventilation, lighting, privacy, storage, and a safe means of emergency exit. ODHS evaluates bedroom sharing according to the child's age, developmental level, sex, gender identity, personal preferences, sibling relationships, trauma history, medical needs, behaviors, and safety. Children generally may not sleep in living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, unfinished spaces, or rooms used as passageways. An adult and child may share a room only when the arrangement is developmentally appropriate, necessary to meet the child's needs, and approved by ODHS.

Smoke Detectors

The home must have properly installed and functioning smoke alarms in locations required by Oregon law, building standards, fire-safety guidance, and ODHS certification rules. Carbon-monoxide alarms must be installed where required, including homes with fuel-burning appliances, fireplaces, or attached garages. Resource Parents must regularly test and maintain alarms, replace batteries or expired units, and ensure that alarms remain operational and accessible for inspection.

Fire Extinguisher

The household must maintain appropriate fire-safety equipment and an emergency plan suitable for the residence and children placed there. ODHS may require one or more accessible, properly rated fire extinguishers based on the home's layout, heating or cooking equipment, fire-authority recommendations, or child-specific risks. Exits, stairways, windows, and evacuation routes must remain unobstructed, and household members must understand how to evacuate during a fire or other emergency.

Medications

Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, supplements, cannabis products, nicotine products, syringes, and other potentially dangerous medical supplies must be stored so children cannot gain unauthorized access. Storage must reflect each child's age, developmental abilities, behaviors, substance-use history, self-harm risk, and individual safety plan. Controlled substances and other high-risk medications may require locked storage, restricted key access, medication counts, administration records, or additional child-specific safeguards.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products, detergents, pesticides, poisons, fuels, automotive chemicals, alcohol, cannabis products, vaping liquids, sharp objects, power tools, and other hazardous materials must be stored safely and made inaccessible to children according to their ages and abilities. Hazardous substances should remain clearly labeled and, whenever practical, in their original containers. Additional locked storage or a written safety plan may be required for children who have developmental, behavioral, substance-use, or self-harm concerns.

Firearms

Firearms must be unloaded and stored in locked containers or another locked storage arrangement that prevents access by children and unauthorized adults. Ammunition must be stored separately in locked storage unless ODHS approves an alternative that provides equivalent safety. Bows, arrows, air guns, pellet guns, knives, and other weapons must also be secured appropriately. Keys, combinations, biometric access, and other unlocking devices must remain under the control of an authorized responsible adult. ODHS may impose stricter child-specific requirements or require removal of weapons when necessary for safety.

Pools

Swimming pools, hot tubs, ponds, streams, irrigation canals, fountains, and other water hazards must be protected against unsupervised access. Depending on the property and the children served, ODHS may require fencing, self-closing and self-latching gates, approved covers, door alarms, pool alarms, rescue equipment, life jackets, swimming rules, or a written supervision plan. Children must receive active, developmentally appropriate adult supervision around water, and caregivers must follow any child-specific medical or safety restrictions.

Pets

Pets, livestock, reptiles, birds, and other animals may live at the home when they do not present an unreasonable danger or health risk. Resource Parents are responsible for licensing, vaccinations, veterinary care, sanitation, safe feeding and waste areas, appropriate containment, and supervision of interactions between children and animals. The certifier may consider an animal's breed, size, temperament, training, bite history, aggressive behavior, and compatibility with the child's trauma history or medical needs. ODHS may require restricted access, barriers, professional evaluation, a written safety plan, alternate placement, or removal of an animal.

Vehicle Requirements

The household must have a reliable transportation plan. Any vehicle used to transport children must be legally registered, adequately insured, safely maintained, and operated by a person with a valid driver's license. Children must use seat belts, rear-facing or forward-facing car seats, booster seats, and other restraints required by Oregon law and the child's age, weight, height, development, and medical condition. Drivers must follow any court, caseworker, school, medical, or child-specific transportation restrictions.

Fingerprinting

Applicants and other covered adults must complete criminal-background screening, including fingerprint-based state and federal checks when required by ODHS and Oregon's Background Check Unit. Adults residing in the home and other individuals who may have unsupervised access to children may be required to submit fingerprints, identifying information, releases, and disclosures. New checks may be required when an adult joins the household, a caregiver role changes, certification is renewed, or ODHS receives new information that warrants review.

Child Abuse Registry

ODHS reviews Oregon child-protective-services records for applicants and covered household members. Under federal requirements, foster and adoptive applicants and adult household members who lived in another state during the relevant lookback period may also need child-abuse and neglect registry checks from each prior state, Tribe, territory, or jurisdiction. Applicants must provide complete residential history and cooperate with releases or documentation needed to obtain those records.

Criminal History

ODHS evaluates state and federal criminal-history information, fingerprints, sex-offender registry information, court records, child-welfare records, licensing history, references, interviews, and other relevant evidence. Applicants must disclose arrests, citations, charges, convictions, deferred adjudications, diversion agreements, probation, parole, restraining orders, and other legal or safety matters requested by the Department. A failure to provide accurate and complete information may independently affect certification, even when the underlying event would not automatically disqualify the applicant.

Disqualifying Offenses

Certain convictions and child-abuse findings may prohibit certification under federal law, Oregon law, or ODHS administrative rules. These may include specified offenses involving child abuse or neglect, spousal abuse, crimes against children, homicide, sexual offenses, serious violent felonies, and other conduct demonstrating an unacceptable risk to children. Some records may be eligible for an individualized fitness determination that considers the nature and seriousness of the conduct, time elapsed, circumstances, rehabilitation, treatment, compliance with court requirements, subsequent history, references, and the duties the person would perform. Certain mandatory exclusions cannot be waived.

Additional Checks

Additional reviews may include Oregon and out-of-state child-welfare records, sex-offender registries, prior foster-care or adoption records, previous resource-family or childcare applications, licensing and certification history, court and protection-order records, motor-vehicle records for household drivers, professional-license information, reference interviews, medical or treatment information, and records concerning individuals who regularly visit the home or may have unsupervised access to children. ODHS may request further information whenever necessary to assess safety, suitability, or household stability.

Steps

• Contact Every Child Oregon, a local ODHS Child Welfare office, or a Resource Family Retention and Recruitment Champion.
• Discuss whether general foster care, relative care, respite care, adoption, guardianship, or specialized agency care best fits the family's goals.
• Create an individual Workday Learning account for each applicant or caregiver.
• Complete the appropriate orientation video series.
• Complete Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training.
• Complete Safe Sleep Practices training.
• Register for and complete RAFT when required.
• Obtain and complete the Oregon Resource Family application.
• Submit required documents, releases, disclosures, and supporting records.
• Provide personal references.
• Complete fingerprint-based state and federal criminal-history checks when required.
• Complete Oregon and out-of-state child-abuse and neglect checks when applicable.
• Participate in interviews with the assigned certifier.
• Ensure every household member participates in the SAFE assessment as requested.
• Complete at least two home visits.
• Complete the home and surrounding-area safety assessment.
• Provide financial, health, transportation, relationship, and household information requested by ODHS.
• Develop emergency, evacuation, supervision, transportation, respite, and support plans.
• Correct any identified certification, sanitation, fire, environmental, or household-safety concerns.
• Complete any additional evaluation, training, exception request, or written safety plan required by ODHS.
• Receive approval of the SAFE home study.
• Receive an ODHS Certificate of Approval valid for up to two years.
• Discuss placement preferences, household capacity, strengths, limitations, and support needs with the certifier.
• Begin receiving placement inquiries for children and young adults whose needs are compatible with the family.
• Complete ongoing training and maintain compliance with certification requirements.
• Report significant household, legal, health, relationship, or safety changes to ODHS.
• Complete renewal requirements before the Certificate of Approval expires.

Average Timeline

ODHS states that the standard certification process usually takes approximately four to six months. Timing varies according to training schedules, application completeness, interview availability, references, fingerprint processing, criminal and child-abuse background checks, out-of-state record requests, home visits, supporting documentation, and the correction of safety concerns. Relative, child-specific, temporary, or emergency certifications may follow different timelines authorized by Oregon law and the circumstances of the child.

Renewal Requirements

An Oregon Certificate of Approval is valid for up to two years. Before expiration, the Resource Parent must cooperate with the assigned certifier to complete renewal requirements. Renewal may include updated household and application information, criminal and child-welfare background reviews, training documentation, home visits, interviews, safety assessment, review of significant changes, evaluation of prior placements, and correction of identified deficiencies. Resource Parents must promptly report new household members, criminal matters, child-welfare involvement, serious health conditions, relationship changes, moves, structural changes to the home, new animals, weapons, or other circumstances that could affect certification or child safety.

Ongoing Training

Certified non-relative Resource Parents must complete 30 hours of approved training during each two-year certification period. RAFT may count toward this requirement during the first certification period. Training may be completed through classroom instruction, live virtual courses, on-demand courses, approved books or videos, counseling or therapeutic services related to caregiving, support groups, mentoring, advisory committees, associations, and other activities for which ODHS awards credit. No more than 12 hours in a 24-month period may generally be credited for qualifying support-group, mentoring, advisory, association, or peer-gathering activities. ODHS may require additional training based on a family's certification, performance, placement history, or the individual needs of children in the home.

How Placements Work

After certification, the family's certifier and child-welfare staff consider the household for children and young adults whose needs appear compatible with the family's approved capacity, experience, preferences, training, location, schedule, support system, and ability to maintain important relationships. Placement decisions consider the child's safety, age, development, behaviors, medical and behavioral-health needs, sibling relationships, school, culture, race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, Tribe, relatives, community connections, and permanency plan. Oregon prioritizes safe placement with relatives, persons who have a caregiver relationship with the child, siblings, and other connections whenever consistent with applicable law and the child's best interests.

Can Decline Placements

Yes. Resource Parents may ask questions and decline a proposed placement when they do not believe they can safely and appropriately meet the child's needs. Declining a placement does not ordinarily end certification. Families should carefully review the information provided, consider the effect on every household member, and communicate honestly about their abilities, limitations, transportation, schedules, bedroom arrangements, support needs, and placement preferences. Once a placement is accepted, Resource Parents should work with the caseworker and support team before requesting removal except when an immediate safety emergency requires urgent action.

Emergency Placements

Oregon may request emergency, shelter, temporary, or after-hours placements when a child must be removed quickly and a longer-term placement has not yet been identified. Emergency placements may occur with certified Resource Parents, Relative Resource Parents, child-specific caregivers, or other homes approved under applicable emergency procedures. Caregivers should receive available information about immediate safety, medications, allergies, healthcare, family time, school, behaviors, supervision, legal status, and known trauma. Missing information may be gathered after placement because of the urgent circumstances.

Sibling Groups

Oregon seeks to place siblings together whenever safely possible and consistent with their individual needs. Resource Parents who can accommodate sibling groups are especially needed. When siblings cannot live together, caregivers are expected to support frequent contact, transportation, shared activities, celebrations, communication, and other meaningful relationships unless a court or child-specific safety plan limits contact. Placement capacity, bedroom arrangements, age, gender identity, medical needs, behaviors, and each sibling's wishes are considered.

Age Preferences

Applicants discuss the ages and developmental stages they feel prepared to serve during the SAFE home study. Families may express preferences concerning infants, toddlers, school-age children, teenagers, young adults, sibling groups, respite care, medically complex children, developmental disabilities, behavioral needs, relative placements, or adoption. ODHS evaluates whether those preferences align with the family's experience, training, household composition, bedrooms, schedules, transportation, childcare, support network, and demonstrated caregiving capacity.

Monthly Board Rate

Oregon's published base foster-care maintenance rates are $958 per month for children ages 0 through 5, $963 per month for children ages 6 through 12, and $1,022 per month for youth and young adults ages 13 through 20. These rates are intended to contribute toward the child's food, housing, supervision, transportation, personal-care items, recreation, school needs, and ordinary daily expenses. Payments begin after an eligible placement and may be prorated for partial months. Families should confirm current rates with ODHS because amounts and policies may change.

Clothing Allowance

Children entering foster care may qualify for an initial clothing payment or other approved funds when they arrive without sufficient clothing. Additional clothing support may be available for seasonal needs, growth, school, employment, special events, uniforms, cultural needs, or replacement of unusable items. Resource Parents should follow ODHS approval, documentation, receipt, and purchasing procedures and should preserve the child's personal belongings when placements change.

Daycare Assistance

ODHS may authorize childcare when it is necessary to support an approved placement, including care related to a Resource Parent's employment, training, school schedule, case activities, or the child's developmental and supervision needs. Approval depends on the child's case plan, eligibility, provider qualifications, available programs, and prior authorization. Resource Parents should coordinate with the child's caseworker before arranging or changing paid childcare because unauthorized expenses may not be reimbursed.

Medical Coverage

Children and young adults in Oregon foster care generally receive medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, behavioral-health, and other covered healthcare through the Oregon Health Plan or another state-arranged coverage source. Resource Parents schedule and transport children to appointments, provide available health information, obtain required consent through the appropriate authority, follow treatment instructions, maintain records, and promptly report significant diagnoses, medications, injuries, hospitalizations, or healthcare concerns to the caseworker.

Mileage Reimbursement

Mileage or transportation reimbursement may be available for certain approved child-related travel, including family time, medical or behavioral-health appointments, court, case-planning activities, school transportation outside ordinary expectations, placement transitions, and other authorized services. Eligibility, rates, documentation, and preauthorization depend on the purpose of the trip and current ODHS policy. Resource Parents should maintain accurate mileage records and confirm reimbursable travel with the child's caseworker.

Additional Benefits

• Child-specific level-of-care payments based on assessed needs
• Personal-care payments for qualifying medical or functional needs
• Shelter-care or emergency-placement payments when applicable
• Approved childcare assistance
• Initial or supplemental clothing funds
• Reimbursement for qualifying transportation and mileage
• Medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and behavioral-health coverage
• Respite-care support
• Training provided without charge through ODHS
• Caseworker and certification-worker support
• Behavioral, developmental, educational, and medical service coordination
• Equipment, supplies, or home modifications authorized for specific needs
• Support for school activities, normalcy, recreation, or special circumstances when approved
• Adoption assistance or guardianship assistance for eligible permanency placements
• Federal or state tax benefits when the caregiver independently meets applicable tax requirements

Respite Care

Respite care may be available to provide Resource Parents with temporary relief, support placement stability, respond to emergencies, or meet a child's planned needs. Respite must generally be provided by an individual or family approved by ODHS or the certifying agency and capable of following the child's supervision, medication, transportation, confidentiality, family-contact, and safety requirements. Resource Parents should arrange respite through the child's caseworker, certifier, agency, or approved program rather than using an unapproved caregiver for overnight or extended care.

Support Groups

Oregon Resource Parents may participate in local and statewide support groups, peer gatherings, foster-parent associations, culturally specific groups, relative-caregiver groups, adoptive and guardianship groups, and online communities. Every Child Oregon, ODHS, private agencies, community organizations, and local partners may offer meetings, meals, childcare, resource exchanges, training, appreciation events, and opportunities to connect with experienced caregivers. Qualifying participation may count toward a limited portion of continuing-education requirements when approved by ODHS.

Mentoring

New and experienced Resource Parents may receive peer mentoring, coaching, consultation, and practical assistance through ODHS, Every Child Oregon, private agencies, foster-parent associations, and community partners. Mentors can help families understand placement calls, documentation, court and case processes, family time, reunification, school advocacy, trauma-related behavior, working with professional teams, respite, transitions, and caregiver stress. Approved mentoring activities may qualify for continuing-training credit within applicable limits.

Counseling

Children in foster care may receive behavioral-health assessment, counseling, psychiatric services, substance-use treatment, developmental services, crisis intervention, and trauma-focused care when clinically indicated and covered by the child's healthcare plan or case plan. Resource Parents may also be referred to family counseling, caregiver consultation, parent coaching, support groups, or therapeutic training to help stabilize a placement. Services should be coordinated with the caseworker and appropriate healthcare providers.

Crisis Support

Resource Parents should contact the child's caseworker, certification worker, agency support staff, after-hours Child Welfare contact, healthcare provider, behavioral-health crisis service, or emergency services according to the seriousness of the concern. Immediate danger, serious injury, suspected abuse, missing children, suicidal behavior, violence, medical emergencies, unauthorized family contact, law-enforcement involvement, or other critical incidents must be reported promptly. ODHS may arrange crisis response, safety planning, respite, additional services, placement stabilization, or a higher level of care.

Available

Yes

Process

Oregon permits approved families to pursue adoption from foster care, but foster care begins with a commitment to support the child's current permanency plan, which is often reunification. When a court determines that reunification will not occur and adoption becomes the approved plan, ODHS identifies and assesses potential adoptive resources according to the child's attachments, relatives, siblings, Tribe, culture, community, existing caregivers, and individual needs. A current Resource Parent may be considered when adoption by that family serves the child's best interests, but certification and placement do not guarantee adoption.

Legal Risk

A child may live with a family while reunification, appeals, relative searches, Tribal placement requirements, or other legal and permanency issues remain unresolved. This is sometimes described as concurrent planning or a legal-risk placement. Resource Parents must continue supporting the child's relationship with parents, siblings, relatives, Tribe, and community until a court and ODHS formally change the permanency plan. Families should understand that a child may reunify or move to another legally preferred permanency resource even after forming a strong attachment to the foster family.

Adoption Subsidy

Eligible children adopted from Oregon foster care may qualify for adoption assistance negotiated before finalization. Assistance may include a recurring maintenance payment, Medicaid or other medical coverage, reimbursement of qualifying nonrecurring adoption expenses, and services connected to the child's special needs. Eligibility and payment amounts depend on federal and state requirements, the child's needs, available benefits, and the adoptive family's circumstances. Adoption assistance agreements must generally be completed before the adoption is finalized.

Available

Yes

Licensing Differences

Oregon refers to relatives and individuals with significant family-like relationships as Relative Resource Parents. Relatives must meet applicable safety, background-check, home-assessment, and certification requirements, but Oregon may use child-specific, temporary, emergency, or relative-certification procedures when permitted by law. A Child Welfare Program Manager or designee may approve certain relative applicants between ages 18 and 20. Relative Resource Parents are generally not required to complete the full RAFT curriculum, although they are encouraged to participate and must complete assigned orientation, mandatory-reporting, safe-sleep, and child-specific training.

Financial Support

A relative who becomes an approved Resource Parent may receive foster-care maintenance payments and child-related supports under the same applicable rate structure as other certified caregivers. Depending on the child's legal status and the caregiver's certification, support may include monthly maintenance payments, medical coverage, clothing funds, childcare, mileage, respite, level-of-care payments, personal-care payments, and case-management services. Relatives pursuing permanency may also qualify for adoption assistance, guardianship assistance, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families child-only benefits, or other programs when eligibility requirements are met.

How old do I have to be to become a foster parent in Oregon?

Applicants seeking standard Resource Parent certification in Oregon must generally be at least 21 years old. Individuals between ages 18 and 20 may qualify as Relative Resource Parents in limited circumstances with approval from the appropriate ODHS program manager or designee.

Do I have to live in Oregon?

Applicants generally must reside in Oregon and complete certification through the ODHS Child Welfare office serving their community or through an approved Oregon child-placing agency. The proposed home must be available for assessment, inspection, monitoring, and renewal.

Do I have to own my home?

No. Applicants may rent or own a house, apartment, condominium, manufactured home, or other suitable residence as long as the home meets Oregon's safety, sanitation, space, utility, and certification requirements.

Can single people become foster parents?

Yes. Oregon accepts qualified single adults, married couples, registered domestic partners, and cohabitating partners. Certification focuses on whether the applicants and household can safely and consistently meet children's needs.

Can LGBTQ+ adults become Resource Parents?

Yes. Qualified applicants may become Resource Parents regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, or family structure. Applicants must be able to provide children with safe, affirming, culturally responsive care.

Can I work outside the home and still foster?

Yes. Many Oregon Resource Parents work full-time, work part-time, attend school, or have other responsibilities. Applicants must demonstrate dependable plans for supervision, childcare, transportation, family time, appointments, school, emergencies, and the child's daily care.

Do I need to have children of my own?

No. Applicants are not required to have biological or adopted children. ODHS evaluates the applicant's caregiving abilities, preparation, judgment, support system, household stability, and willingness to complete required training.

Is there a minimum income requirement?

Oregon does not use one universal minimum-income amount for every applicant. Families must demonstrate that they can meet their existing household expenses without depending on foster-care maintenance payments.

How long does it take to become certified?

ODHS states that the standard certification and SAFE home-study process usually takes approximately four to six months. Timing depends on training, application completion, references, interviews, background checks, home visits, supporting records, and any required safety corrections.

What training is required?

Applicants complete the appropriate orientation series, Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse training, Safe Sleep Practices training, and Resource and Adoptive Family Training when required. Relative Resource Parents may have different preservice requirements but must complete all training assigned by ODHS.

Is online training available?

Yes. Oregon offers orientation, prerequisite courses, RAFT options, renewal courses, and continuing education through Workday Learning and other virtual formats. The SAFE home study, household interviews, background checks, and physical home assessment still require direct participation.

Is a home study required?

Yes. Applicants complete a SAFE home study that includes interviews, references, documentation review, criminal and child-abuse background checks, at least two home visits, and an assessment of the family's strengths, needs, household functioning, and readiness to care for children.

What background checks are required?

Applicants and other covered adults must complete criminal-history and child-abuse background screenings. Fingerprint-based state and federal checks and out-of-state child-abuse registry checks may also be required based on household roles and prior residences.

Will a criminal record automatically disqualify me?

Not every criminal record automatically prevents certification. Certain serious offenses require denial, while other records may receive an individualized fitness review considering the conduct, time elapsed, circumstances, rehabilitation, treatment, subsequent history, and potential risk to children.

Can I have pets?

Yes. Pets and other animals are permitted when safely maintained and supervised. ODHS may review vaccinations, licensing, temperament, bite history, sanitation, fencing, containment, and the proposed plan for safely introducing children to animals.

Can I own firearms?

Yes. Legally possessed firearms must be unloaded and secured in locked storage inaccessible to children. Ammunition must also be locked and ordinarily stored separately. Other weapons must be secured according to their risks and the needs of children in the home.

Can foster children share bedrooms?

Yes, when the arrangement is safe and appropriate. ODHS considers each child's age, developmental level, sex, gender identity, sibling relationships, trauma history, behaviors, medical needs, privacy, preferences, and available space.

Can I choose the ages of children I foster?

Yes. Applicants discuss preferred ages, developmental stages, sibling groups, placement types, medical needs, disabilities, behavioral needs, and levels of care during the SAFE home study. Certification and placement decisions must remain consistent with the family's demonstrated capacity.

Can I decline a placement?

Yes. Resource Parents may decline a placement when they do not believe they can safely meet the child's needs or when the placement would not be appropriate for their household. Families are encouraged to ask detailed questions before accepting.

Will I receive complete information before placement?

ODHS should provide all reasonably available information about the child's health, behaviors, supervision needs, education, medications, family relationships, culture, identity, family time, and case plan. Emergency placements may occur before every record has been gathered.

Does Oregon try to keep siblings together?

Yes. Oregon seeks to place siblings together whenever safely possible and consistent with their needs. When siblings cannot live together, caregivers are generally expected to support frequent contact and preserve their relationship.

Does Oregon prioritize relatives?

Yes. Oregon prioritizes safe placement with relatives, individuals who have a caregiver relationship with the child, siblings, and other people with meaningful family-like connections, subject to applicable laws and the child's best interests.

Can relatives receive foster-care payments?

Yes. Relatives who complete the applicable approval or certification process may qualify for foster-care maintenance payments, medical coverage, clothing funds, childcare, mileage, respite, and other child-specific supports.

Are Tribal and cultural connections considered?

Yes. Placement and case planning must preserve children's relationships with family, Tribe, culture, language, religion, community, and identity whenever appropriate. Cases involving Indian children must comply with federal and Oregon Indian child-welfare requirements.

Is reunification the primary goal?

Yes. Safe reunification is the primary permanency goal for most children entering foster care. Resource Parents are expected to support the child's parents, family time, sibling relationships, case plan, and other important connections.

Will I receive financial assistance?

Yes. Certified Resource Parents receive foster-care maintenance payments intended to help cover the child's ordinary care. Additional payments or reimbursements may be available for assessed needs, childcare, clothing, transportation, respite, medical care, and other authorized services.

Do children in Oregon foster care receive medical coverage?

Yes. Children and young adults in foster care generally receive medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and behavioral-health coverage through the Oregon Health Plan or another state-arranged coverage source.

Is childcare assistance available?

Childcare may be authorized when necessary to support the placement, including care related to employment, education, training, appointments, or the child's developmental and supervision needs. Prior approval may be required.

Is respite care available?

Yes. Approved respite may be available to provide temporary caregiver relief, respond to emergencies, meet a child's planned needs, and support placement stability.

Can foster parents adopt?

Yes. When reunification and other preferred permanency options are no longer available and adoption becomes the child's plan, the current Resource Parent may be considered if adoption by that family serves the child's best interests.

Does fostering guarantee that I can adopt?

No. Foster care is temporary, and most cases begin with reunification as the primary goal. A child may reunify, move to relatives, enter guardianship, or achieve permanency through another approved family.

Is adoption assistance available?

Eligible children adopted from Oregon foster care may qualify for a negotiated monthly subsidy, medical coverage, reimbursement of qualifying nonrecurring adoption expenses, and services related to the child's special needs.

How long is an Oregon Certificate of Approval valid?

An Oregon Resource Family Certificate of Approval is valid for up to two years. Families must cooperate with renewal requirements before expiration to continue accepting placements.

Do Resource Parents need ongoing training?

Yes. Certified non-relative Resource Parents generally complete 30 hours of approved continuing education during each two-year certification period. ODHS may require additional training based on certification status or children's individual needs.

How do I report suspected child abuse or neglect?

Call the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline at 855-503-SAFE (7233). Call 911 when a child is in immediate danger or requires urgent emergency assistance.

State Agency

Oregon Department of Human Services, Child Welfare Division

Phone

800-331-0503

Email

[email protected]

Address

500 Summer Street NE, E-67, Salem, OR 97301