How to Become a Foster Parent in Tennessee

Description

Foster care in Tennessee provides temporary, family-based care for children and youth who cannot safely remain with their parents or legal guardians. Foster parents provide safety, stability, nurturing, supervision, transportation, educational advocacy, healthcare coordination, emotional support, normal childhood experiences, and connections to parents, siblings, relatives, culture, faith, school, and community while the child's family works toward reunification or another court-approved permanency goal.

Agency

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services, commonly called DCS, administers the state's public foster-care system. DCS recruits, approves, supervises, and supports foster families and contracts with licensed private child-placing agencies that also recruit and supervise foster homes. DCS works with juvenile courts, parents, relatives, attorneys, schools, healthcare providers, behavioral-health professionals, community organizations, and other partners to protect children and achieve permanency.

Who Can Apply

Adults who are at least 21 years old and legally reside in Tennessee may apply to become foster parents. Applicants may be married, single, or divorced; may have children or no children; may rent or own their residence; and may work full-time. They must demonstrate that they can meet their existing household's financial and emotional needs, complete TN-KEY training, participate in the home-study process, pass required background checks, complete health screening, and maintain a safe and stable home.

Average Time To License

The Tennessee approval process commonly takes approximately four to six months, although no single timeline applies to every household. The process includes an inquiry and prescreening, an informational meeting, TN-KEY training, application documents, criminal and child-protection checks, fingerprinting, references, health and financial documentation, interviews, home visits, a written home study, CPR and First Aid preparation, and correction of any identified home-safety concerns.

Website

Visit the official agency website

Minimum Age

Traditional Tennessee foster-parent applicants must be at least 21 years old. There is generally no fixed maximum age, but applicants must demonstrate the physical health, emotional stability, maturity, judgment, energy, support system, and long-term capacity necessary to meet the needs of children placed in their care. Different age provisions may apply to certain kinship or adoption situations.

Residency

Applicants must maintain legal residency in Tennessee. Tennessee's foster-parent recruitment program generally requires applicants to have resided legally in the state for at least three months before approval. The home must be located within an area served by DCS or the licensed private child-placing agency completing the approval process.

Marital Status

Tennessee permits qualified single, married, and divorced adults to become foster parents. Marriage is not required. When applicants are married or share the home with a partner or another adult who will participate in caregiving, the licensing agency evaluates the relationship, household stability, communication, shared expectations, conflict resolution, and each adult's willingness to cooperate with the foster-care process.

Income Requirements

Applicants must demonstrate sufficient legal and reliable income to meet their existing household's financial needs without depending upon foster-care board payments. The home-study worker may review employment, benefits, housing costs, debts, recurring expenses, insurance, budgeting practices, and financial obligations. Foster-care payments are intended to reimburse the costs of caring for children and are not designed to serve as the family's primary source of income.

Home Ownership

Applicants do not have to own their residence. Tennessee allows foster parents to rent or own a house, apartment, condominium, manufactured home, or other appropriate residence that meets DCS safety, space, sanitation, and sleeping requirements. Renters should confirm that the lease, landlord, occupancy rules, insurance policy, and local regulations permit foster placements and any required safety modifications.

Bedroom Requirements

Every foster child must have an individual bed with an appropriate mattress, bed frame or approved platform, and clean bedding. Ordinarily, no more than two children may share one bedroom, although limited exceptions may be considered for relative or kinship homes. Children age three or older generally may not share the foster parent's bedroom except briefly during illness or significant emotional distress. Opposite-sex siblings age four or younger may share a bedroom when approved. Unfinished attics, unfinished basements, hallways, and detached outbuildings may not be used as bedrooms.

Transportation

Applicants must maintain a dependable transportation plan for school, childcare, family visitation, medical and dental appointments, therapy, court, Child and Family Team Meetings, extracurricular activities, placement transitions, and emergencies. Vehicles used to transport foster children must be safely maintained, legally registered, properly insured, and operated by licensed drivers. Children must use seat belts, car seats, booster seats, or specialized restraints appropriate to their age, height, weight, development, and medical needs.

Health Requirements

Applicants and household members must provide health information sufficient for the approving agency to determine whether the household can safely care for children. Applicants may be required to complete physical examinations, health statements, tuberculosis screening, medication disclosures, or additional evaluations. A disability, chronic illness, mental-health diagnosis, or managed medical condition does not automatically disqualify an applicant, but the agency evaluates whether the condition could affect supervision, judgment, stability, or caregiving capacity.

Pet Policy

Pets and other household animals are permitted when they are safely managed and do not present an unreasonable risk to children. Tennessee requires applicable pets to maintain current rabies vaccinations, and DCS does not ordinarily waive that vaccination requirement because of a prior vaccine reaction. The agency may also review animal temperament, bite or aggression history, veterinary care, sanitation, containment, and the family's plan for supervising interactions between children and animals.

Firearm Policy

Firearms, ammunition, hunting equipment, knives, and other weapons must be stored so that foster children cannot gain unauthorized access. Firearms should be unloaded and secured in locked storage, with ammunition separately or otherwise securely stored as required by DCS policy. Keys, combinations, and access devices must remain under responsible adult control, and additional restrictions or written safety plans may be required based on a child's age, behavior, trauma history, or safety needs.

Contact Agency

Contact the Tennessee Department of Children's Services to express interest in becoming a foster parent. Prospective families may begin through the DCS foster-parent inquiry process, contact their local DCS office, or work with a licensed private child-placing agency. The agency will explain current placement needs, eligibility standards, TN-KEY training schedules, required documents, background checks, home-study procedures, and available support services.

Attend Orientation

Attend a Tennessee foster-parent informational meeting or introductory session. The meeting explains the purpose of foster care, reunification and permanency, the role of DCS and private providers, expectations for mentoring and working with birth families, TN-KEY training, the home study, background checks, board payments, visitation, confidentiality, discipline standards, placement matching, continuing education, and the effect fostering may have on the entire household.

Choose Agency

Decide whether to complete the foster-home approval process directly through the Tennessee Department of Children's Services or through a licensed private child-placing agency. Applicants should compare the agency's service area, placement populations, support model, training schedule, on-call assistance, respite availability, reimbursement practices, therapeutic programs, faith affiliation when applicable, and expectations for foster families.

Documents Needed

• Completed Tennessee foster-parent inquiry or application
• Government-issued identification
• Social Security numbers or other identifying information requested by the approving agency
• Information about every adult and child residing in the household
• Current and previous residential-address history
• Criminal-history disclosure forms
• Fingerprint authorization and submission documents
• Tennessee child-protection history check authorization
• Out-of-state criminal and child-abuse registry checks when applicable
• Personal references
• Medical statements or physical-examination forms
• Tuberculosis screening or other health documentation when requested
• Mental-health and substance-use history when relevant to the home study
• Employment verification
• Income and financial-stability documentation
• Household budget information
• Marriage, divorce, separation, partnership, or relationship information when applicable
• Driver's licenses for household drivers
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Homeowners or renters insurance information when requested
• Childcare and supervision plans
• Transportation plans
• Emergency contact information
• Fire, severe-weather, and evacuation plans
• Information about bedrooms and proposed sleeping arrangements
• Pet vaccination and veterinary records when applicable
• Information about firearms, ammunition, pools, water hazards, and other household risks
• TN-KEY training completion documentation
• CPR and First Aid certification or completion documentation
• Additional releases, explanations, evaluations, or safety plans requested during the approval process

Required

Yes

Description

Tennessee requires prospective foster parents to participate in an informational and preservice preparation process before approval. Orientation introduces applicants to Tennessee's child-welfare system, the temporary nature of foster care, reunification, concurrent planning, trauma, grief and loss, child development, attachment, resilience, cultural identity, sibling relationships, family visitation, confidentiality, mandated reporting, positive discipline, normalcy, caregiver responsibilities, teamwork, and the effect fostering may have on household relationships.

How To Register

Prospective families may register by contacting the Tennessee Department of Children's Services, submitting a foster-parent inquiry, contacting a local DCS office, or beginning the process with a licensed private child-placing agency. The assigned recruiter or foster-parent support worker will provide access to an informational meeting and the appropriate regional TN-KEY training calendar.

Duration

The initial information meeting is followed by the TN-KEY preservice education and mutual-assessment program. The current TN-KEY curriculum is approximately 25 hours and may be offered through classroom, virtual, online, or blended formats depending on the region and agency. The complete approval process also includes application documents, interviews, home visits, background checks, health documentation, references, CPR and First Aid, and the written home study.

Application Process

After completing the initial inquiry and informational meeting, applicants submit a foster-home application to DCS or their chosen licensed child-placing agency. Applicants then complete TN-KEY training, fingerprinting, criminal and child-protection background checks, references, health and financial documentation, household interviews, home visits, and a written home study. The approving agency evaluates the family's strengths, support system, caregiving capacity, household safety, placement preferences, and ability to work cooperatively with children, parents, relatives, DCS, courts, schools, healthcare providers, and other members of the child's team.

Required Documents

• Signed foster-home application
• Government-issued identification for each applicant
• Identifying information for all household members
• Current and previous residential-address history
• Criminal-history disclosure and authorization forms
• Fingerprint-based background-check documentation
• Tennessee child-protection history check authorization
• Out-of-state criminal-history and child-abuse registry checks when applicable
• Personal-reference forms
• Medical statements or physical-examination forms for applicants
• Health-history information for household members
• Tuberculosis screening or other testing when requested
• Disclosure of physical or mental-health conditions that may affect caregiving
• Disclosure of current or previous alcohol or drug misuse or treatment
• Employment and income verification
• Household budget, debts, expenses, and financial-stability information
• Marriage, divorce, separation, partnership, or relationship records when requested
• Information concerning prior foster-care, adoption, childcare, or child-welfare involvement
• Information concerning arrests, charges, convictions, probation, parole, or protection orders
• Driver's licenses for household drivers
• Vehicle registration
• Proof of automobile insurance
• Homeowners or renters insurance information when requested
• Childcare and supervision plans
• Transportation plans
• Emergency and alternate-caregiver information
• Fire, evacuation, severe-weather, and disaster plans
• Information about bedrooms, beds, and household capacity
• Pet vaccination and veterinary records when applicable
• Information concerning firearms, ammunition, pools, water hazards, and environmental risks
• TN-KEY completion records
• CPR and First Aid completion records
• Additional evaluations, releases, explanations, or written safety plans requested by DCS or the provider agency

References Required

Tennessee requires personal references as part of the foster-home study. References should know the applicants well enough to discuss their character, maturity, emotional stability, relationships, reliability, parenting or caregiving ability, judgment, lifestyle, support system, and readiness to care for children who may have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, separation, grief, or disrupted attachments. The approving agency determines the number and type of references required under its current policy.

Interview Process

The home-study specialist conducts interviews with each applicant and, as appropriate, other household members. Interviews explore motivation to foster, childhood and family history, relationships, parenting experience, discipline practices, trauma awareness, physical and mental health, substance-use history, finances, employment, criminal history, support systems, cultural responsiveness, religious practices, household routines, transportation, placement preferences, and the family's willingness to support reunification and maintain children's connections to parents, siblings, relatives, culture, school, and community.

Required

Yes

Curriculum

Tennessee requires prospective foster parents to successfully complete the Tennessee Knowledge Empowers You (TN-KEY) preservice education and mutual assessment program before receiving foster-home approval. The curriculum prepares caregivers to understand the child welfare system, the effects of abuse and neglect, trauma-informed parenting, attachment, grief and loss, child development, resilience, behavior management, positive discipline, cultural awareness, communication with birth families, visitation, educational advocacy, medical care, confidentiality, normal childhood experiences, teamwork with professionals, documentation, and caregiver self-care.

Required Hours

The Tennessee TN-KEY curriculum consists of approximately 25 hours of required preservice education. Depending upon the agency and placement type, applicants may also complete CPR, First Aid, medication administration, trauma-informed care, safe sleep practices, de-escalation techniques, or additional specialized training before receiving children with higher levels of need.

Online Available

Many Tennessee agencies offer TN-KEY using a blended format that combines classroom instruction, virtual meetings, online coursework, and individual family consultations. Availability varies by region and provider agency. Certain portions of the licensing process—including home visits, interviews, fingerprinting, and safety inspections—must still be completed in person.

Certification

Applicants must successfully complete the entire TN-KEY preservice program before foster-home approval. Depending upon the types of children accepted, additional certifications or ongoing education may be required for therapeutic foster care, medically fragile children, behavioral-health placements, or specialized foster-care programs.

Required

Yes

Interviews

Every Tennessee foster family completes a comprehensive written home study. The licensing specialist interviews each applicant and appropriate household members to evaluate parenting philosophy, family history, motivation for fostering, emotional stability, communication skills, marriage or relationship stability when applicable, discipline practices, financial stability, physical and mental health, support systems, employment, transportation, cultural competency, trauma awareness, placement preferences, and the family's ability to safely care for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, separation, or loss.

Home Visits

The licensing worker completes one or more home visits to inspect the residence and verify compliance with Tennessee foster-home standards. The assessment includes sleeping arrangements, fire safety, utilities, sanitation, food storage, medication storage, firearms, hazardous materials, pools or water hazards, pets, emergency planning, transportation resources, and the general safety and suitability of the home environment. Follow-up visits may be conducted if corrections or additional documentation are needed.

Topics Covered

• Motivation for becoming foster parents
• Understanding foster care as temporary care
• Commitment to reunification when safely possible
• Concurrent permanency planning
• Working with birth parents and relatives
• Family history and childhood experiences
• Marriage, partnership, or household relationships
• Communication and conflict resolution
• Parenting philosophy
• Positive discipline practices
• Child development
• Trauma-informed parenting
• Attachment, grief, and loss
• Behavior management
• Supporting children's emotional needs
• Educational advocacy
• Medical and behavioral healthcare coordination
• Cultural awareness and diversity
• Supporting a child's identity and family connections
• Financial stability
• Employment responsibilities
• Transportation planning
• Emergency preparedness
• Household routines
• Support systems
• Physical and mental health
• Substance-use history
• Criminal-history review
• Child-abuse and neglect history
• Confidentiality
• Documentation responsibilities
• Normalcy and age-appropriate activities
• Placement preferences
• Household strengths and challenges
• Ability to collaborate with DCS and service providers

Timeline

The home-study timeline varies depending upon scheduling, applicant responsiveness, completion of TN-KEY training, background-check processing, reference completion, required household repairs, and agency workload. Many Tennessee families complete the entire licensing process within approximately four to six months.

Bedroom Rules

Every foster child must have an individual bed with a clean mattress and appropriate bedding. Bedrooms must provide adequate space, ventilation, lighting, heating, privacy, and safe emergency exits. Children generally may share bedrooms only when permitted by Tennessee licensing standards based upon age, gender, developmental needs, sibling relationships, trauma history, and individual safety considerations. Children age three and older generally may not sleep in the foster parent's bedroom except for temporary medical or emotional circumstances.

Smoke Detectors

Working smoke detectors must be installed in accordance with Tennessee fire-safety requirements and maintained throughout the home. Licensing workers verify their operation during home inspections. Carbon monoxide detectors are required where applicable under state and local building or fire codes.

Fire Extinguisher

Homes must maintain appropriate fire-safety equipment and emergency evacuation plans. Fire extinguishers should be readily accessible, and exits must remain unobstructed. Foster families should regularly review evacuation procedures with household members.

Medications

Prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, controlled substances, medical supplies, and sharps must be stored securely and remain inaccessible to children. Depending upon the ages and needs of children placed in the home, medications may require locked storage.

Cleaning Supplies

Cleaning products, chemicals, pesticides, detergents, alcohol, fuels, poisonous substances, sharp tools, and other hazardous materials must be securely stored where children cannot access them. Products should remain properly labeled and stored according to manufacturer recommendations.

Firearms

Firearms must be unloaded and securely locked to prevent child access. Ammunition must be stored separately in a secure location. Keys, lock combinations, and other access devices must remain under adult control. Additional safeguards may be required depending upon the children placed in the home.

Pools

Swimming pools, hot tubs, ponds, lakes, streams, wells, and other water hazards must be protected against unsupervised child access. Depending upon the property, fencing, locking gates, alarms, safety covers, rescue equipment, written supervision plans, or other protective measures may be required.

Pets

Household pets are permitted provided they are healthy, appropriately vaccinated, safely supervised, and do not present an unreasonable risk to foster children. Licensing workers may review vaccination records, veterinary care, temperament, sanitation, containment, and supervision practices.

Vehicle Requirements

Vehicles used to transport foster children must be legally registered, properly insured, safely maintained, and operated by licensed drivers. Foster children must always be transported using age-, height-, weight-, and developmentally appropriate car seats, booster seats, seat belts, or specialized restraints that comply with Tennessee law.

Fingerprinting

Tennessee requires fingerprint-based state and federal criminal-history background checks for foster-parent applicants and other adult household members as required by licensing regulations. Fingerprints are submitted through authorized state and federal systems before approval and may be updated during license renewal or after significant household changes.

Child Abuse Registry

Applicants and appropriate household members must complete Tennessee child-abuse registry screening. Applicants who previously lived in other states may also be required to complete child-protection registry checks from those jurisdictions.

Criminal History

The licensing agency reviews criminal-history information, child-protection records, references, interviews, prior child-welfare involvement, court records, and other available information when determining an applicant's suitability. Applicants are expected to disclose arrests, convictions, deferred judgments, probation, parole, protection orders, and other legal matters.

Disqualifying Offenses

Certain criminal convictions and substantiated findings of child abuse or neglect permanently disqualify applicants under Tennessee law and applicable federal requirements. Crimes involving child abuse, violent offenses, homicide, domestic violence, sexual offenses, serious drug trafficking offenses, human trafficking, and similar crimes generally prevent foster-home approval. Other offenses may receive individualized review depending upon Tennessee law, rehabilitation, and child safety.

Additional Checks

The licensing process may also include sex-offender registry searches, driving-record reviews, employment verification, previous licensing history, household composition reviews, reference verification, court-record reviews, and any additional assessments needed to ensure child safety.

Steps

• Submit a foster-parent inquiry.
• Attend an informational meeting.
• Select DCS or a licensed child-placing agency.
• Complete the foster-home application.
• Participate in TN-KEY preservice training.
• Complete CPR and First Aid requirements when required.
• Submit personal references.
• Provide medical and financial documentation.
• Complete fingerprinting and background checks.
• Participate in household interviews.
• Complete the written home study.
• Pass the household safety inspection.
• Correct any identified licensing deficiencies.
• Receive foster-home approval.
• Begin accepting foster-child placements.
• Participate in ongoing supervision and continuing education.
• Complete renewal requirements to maintain licensure.

Average Timeline

Most Tennessee families complete the licensing process within approximately four to six months, although timelines vary depending upon training availability, background-check processing, references, scheduling, household readiness, and agency workload.

Renewal Requirements

Tennessee foster-home approvals must be renewed according to DCS licensing requirements. Renewal generally includes updated household information, continued compliance with safety standards, ongoing home visits, continuing education, updated background checks when required, and correction of any licensing deficiencies.

Ongoing Training

Licensed Tennessee foster parents are required to complete ongoing continuing education to maintain approval. Additional specialized training may be required depending upon the needs of children placed in the home or participation in therapeutic or specialized foster-care programs.

How Placements Work

After approval, Tennessee foster families may receive placement calls from the Department of Children's Services or their supervising private child-placing agency. Placement staff attempt to match each child with a home capable of meeting the child's physical, emotional, developmental, educational, behavioral, medical, cultural, religious, sibling, and permanency needs. Matching decisions also consider the foster home's approved capacity, household composition, experience, geographic location, school transportation, childcare arrangements, support system, placement preferences, and willingness to support family relationships and reunification.

Can Decline Placements

Yes. Tennessee foster parents may decline a proposed placement when they believe the placement is outside their approved preferences, household capacity, experience, available resources, or ability to safely meet the child's needs. Families should ask as many questions as possible about the child's age, medical care, medications, behavior, trauma history, school, visitation schedule, sibling relationships, supervision requirements, transportation needs, legal status, and permanency plan before accepting placement.

Emergency Placements

Tennessee may need foster homes for emergency, same-day, after-hours, weekend, sibling-group, infant, adolescent, medically complex, and placement-disruption situations. In an emergency, complete records may not be available when the child arrives. The placing worker should provide the child's available placement and well-being information, placement contract, medical authorization documents, education records, TennCare information, approved contact information, medications, and any applicable child-safety plan.

Sibling Groups

Tennessee seeks to place siblings together whenever safely possible and consistent with their individual needs. When siblings cannot live in the same foster home, DCS and the Child and Family Team work to preserve sibling relationships through visitation, telephone or video contact, shared activities, school connections, holiday contact, and other ongoing interaction unless contact would threaten a child's safety or well-being. Foster homes able to accept sibling groups are especially valuable.

Age Preferences

During the home-study process, Tennessee applicants identify the ages, number of children, gender considerations, sibling groups, placement types, behaviors, medical conditions, developmental needs, and levels of supervision they are prepared to accept. Families may express preferences for infants, toddlers, school-age children, teenagers, sibling groups, respite care, emergency care, foster-to-adopt situations, medically complex children, or children requiring specialized services. Final placement decisions must remain within the home's approval and focus on the child's best interests.

Monthly Board Rate

Tennessee provides licensed foster parents with a daily board payment intended to help cover the ordinary costs of caring for a child. Effective July 1, 2025, the regular foster-care board rate is $32.62 per day for children ages 0 through 11 and $37.40 per day for youth ages 12 and older. Special-circumstances rates are $35.88 per day for children ages 0 through 11 and $41.14 per day for youth ages 12 and older. Actual payments depend on the child's placement dates, approved level of care, eligibility, and current DCS policy.

Clothing Allowance

Foster-care maintenance payments help cover routine clothing costs, and additional assistance may be authorized when a child enters care without adequate clothing or has unusual seasonal, school, employment, growth, medical, or placement-related needs. Foster parents should follow DCS or provider-agency procedures and obtain approval before making purchases when separate reimbursement is requested.

Daycare Assistance

Childcare or summer-program assistance may be available when approved as necessary for the child's placement, the foster parent's employment, training, education, respite needs, developmental needs, or case plan. Availability depends on DCS authorization, provider eligibility, program funding, the child's age and needs, and the circumstances of the placement. Families should obtain approval before enrolling a foster child when payment assistance is expected.

Medical Coverage

Children in Tennessee foster care generally receive health coverage through TennCare. Coverage may include physician care, hospital services, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, behavioral-health treatment, counseling, therapy, developmental services, medical equipment, and medically necessary specialty care. Foster parents coordinate appointments, maintain records, administer medications as authorized, and promptly communicate significant health concerns to the child's Family Service Worker.

Mileage Reimbursement

Transportation assistance or mileage reimbursement may be available for approved travel related to medical care, therapy, family visitation, court, Child and Family Team Meetings, school transportation, placement transitions, training, or other case-plan responsibilities. Approval, documentation, mileage rates, and eligible travel vary by DCS or provider-agency policy, so foster parents should confirm procedures with their support worker before submitting expenses.

Additional Benefits

Depending on the child and placement, Tennessee foster families may receive respite care, childcare assistance, specialized board payments, therapeutic services, behavioral consultation, educational support, training, mentoring, advocacy, medical equipment, transportation assistance, crisis intervention, independent-living resources for older youth, and other services authorized through the child's case plan.

Respite Care

Tennessee's foster-care board rate includes two days of respite care each month. Foster parents may identify an appropriate friend, relative, or approved foster parent to provide respite, subject to DCS safety and approval requirements. When assistance arranging respite is needed, foster parents should contact their Foster Parent Support worker in advance; DCS guidance recommends making contact at least ten business days before the requested respite whenever circumstances permit.

Support Groups

Tennessee foster, kinship, and adoptive families may participate in DCS or community-based support groups, regional meetings, foster-parent conferences, online training events, peer networks, and educational sessions. Topics may include trauma, attachment, co-parenting, food insecurity, emotional regulation, special education, caregiver self-care, grief, loss, and the core issues affecting foster and adoptive families.

Mentoring

Tennessee operates a foster-parent mentorship program using experienced resource parents who have been trained to provide guidance, education, and practical support to newly approved traditional and kinship foster parents. Mentors may also assist experienced families facing a difficult placement, policy question, behavioral challenge, or unfamiliar child-welfare process.

Counseling

Children in foster care may receive counseling, trauma-focused treatment, behavioral-health services, psychiatric care, developmental therapy, substance-use treatment, crisis intervention, family therapy, and other clinically necessary services. Foster parents may also receive caregiver consultation, in-home support, parenting education, placement-stabilization services, and referrals to community resources.

Crisis Support

For a life-threatening emergency, foster parents should call 911 and provide CPR or First Aid when appropriate and safely possible. They must notify the child's Family Service Worker as soon as possible and, when licensed through a private provider, notify the provider-agency worker as well. Serious medical events, missing children, abuse allegations, arrests, suicide threats, hospitalization, significant injuries, placement disruptions, or other major safety incidents must be reported according to DCS policy.

Available

Yes. Tennessee foster parents may adopt children in their care when reunification and other preferred permanency options are no longer possible, parental rights have been terminated or surrendered as required, and adoption becomes the child's approved permanency goal. Foster parents must support reunification and the child's current permanency plan until that plan is formally changed.

Process

Children generally enter Tennessee foster care without certainty that they will become available for adoption. DCS first works toward safe reunification and considers relatives, kin, guardianship, and other permanency resources. When a child becomes legally free for adoption, the child's foster family may receive preference because of the child's existing relationship and attachment, but the final decision is based on the child's best interests and the family's ability to meet the child's lifelong needs.

Legal Risk

Accepting a foster placement does not guarantee adoption. A child may reunify with parents, move to relatives or kin, enter guardianship, transfer to another placement, or be matched with another adoptive family. Tennessee therefore expects foster parents to provide temporary care, mentor birth parents when appropriate, support visitation, and cooperate with the court-approved permanency plan even when the foster family hopes to adopt.

Adoption Subsidy

Children adopted from Tennessee DCS custody are often eligible for adoption assistance when they meet program requirements. Assistance may include a monthly adoption subsidy, TennCare coverage, and reimbursement of eligible nonrecurring adoption-finalization expenses up to the amount permitted by current DCS policy. Tennessee also offers post-adoption support through Adoption Support and Preservation services, including education, counseling, crisis intervention, case management, and family support groups.

Available

Yes. Tennessee prioritizes safe placement with relatives and kin whenever possible because familiar caregivers can preserve a child's identity, family relationships, school connections, culture, community, and sense of belonging while reducing the trauma of removal. When DCS has custody, a relative or kin caregiver may apply to become the child's approved kinship foster parent.

Licensing Differences

Kinship caregivers may receive a child before completing full foster-home approval when emergency safety requirements are satisfied. They must then complete the required background checks, household assessment, training, home study, safety requirements, and approval process. Tennessee publishes a temporary kinship foster-care board rate for families awaiting full approval, after which the family may receive the regular age-based foster-care rate.

Financial Support

Tennessee kinship caregivers may qualify for different forms of assistance depending on the child's custody and the caregiver's legal arrangement. Fully approved kinship foster parents may receive foster-care board payments and foster-family services. Other relative caregivers may qualify for the Relative Caregiver Program, support groups, respite, referrals, advocacy, a child-only Families First grant, or the Relative Caregiver Stipend Program when eligibility requirements are met. Eligible kinship families may also pursue subsidized permanent guardianship or adoption assistance.

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

Traditional foster-parent applicants must generally be at least 21 years old. Tennessee does not impose a standard maximum age, but applicants must be healthy, stable, and capable of meeting children's needs.

Can a single person become a foster parent?

Yes. Tennessee permits qualified single, married, and divorced adults to become foster parents. Approval focuses on the applicant's stability, support system, household safety, and caregiving ability.

Do I have to own a home?

No. Applicants may rent or own their residence as long as the home meets Tennessee safety, sanitation, sleeping-space, and occupancy requirements.

Can I work full-time and foster?

Yes. Many Tennessee foster parents work full-time. Applicants must have dependable plans for childcare, transportation, appointments, visitation, court, meetings, school needs, and emergencies.

Do I need previous parenting experience?

No. Prior parenting experience is not required. Applicants receive TN-KEY preparation and are evaluated through the home-study process.

What is TN-KEY?

TN-KEY stands for Tennessee Knowledge Empowers You. It is Tennessee's preservice education and mutual-assessment process for prospective foster and adoptive parents.

How long does approval take?

Many applicants complete the process in approximately four to six months, although training schedules, background checks, references, home repairs, health documents, and applicant availability can affect the timeline.

Are background checks required?

Yes. Applicants and applicable household members complete fingerprint-based criminal checks, child-protection checks, and other safety screenings required by DCS.

Can I foster if I have a criminal record?

A criminal record does not always result in automatic denial, but certain offenses are disqualifying. DCS evaluates the offense, date, circumstances, rehabilitation, legal requirements, and potential risk to children.

Can foster children share bedrooms?

Yes, when the arrangement complies with DCS policy and is appropriate for the children's ages, gender, sibling relationship, development, trauma history, and safety. Ordinarily, no more than two children share one bedroom.

Can a foster child sleep in my bedroom?

Children age three or older generally may not share the foster parent's bedroom except briefly because of illness or significant emotional distress.

Can I have pets?

Yes. Pets must be safely managed, appropriately vaccinated, and suitable around children. Tennessee does not ordinarily waive the rabies-vaccination requirement for household pets.

Can I own firearms?

Yes, but firearms, ammunition, and other weapons must be securely stored and inaccessible to foster children in accordance with DCS policy and any child-specific safety plan.

Can I decline a placement?

Yes. Foster parents may decline a placement that does not fit their approval, experience, household capacity, or ability to meet the child's needs.

What documents should arrive with a child?

The placing worker should provide the child's available intake, placement, and well-being information and the placement contract. Other records may include medical authorization, educational information, TennCare information, approved contacts, medication, and a child-safety plan.

Will birth parents know who I am?

Usually, yes. Tennessee expects foster parents to participate in Child and Family Team Meetings, visitation, communication, and mentoring of birth parents when appropriate. DCS does not routinely provide the foster family's home address, although disclosure may sometimes be required by law or court order.

Am I expected to work with the child's parents?

Yes. Foster parents are expected to support reunification, participate in team meetings, help children attend visitation, communicate appropriately with parents, and model or mentor safe parenting when directed by the child's team.

Can a foster child attend sleepovers and field trips?

Yes. Foster parents use the reasonable and prudent parent standard to make age- and developmentally appropriate decisions about sleepovers, school trips, extracurricular activities, and normal childhood experiences.

Does Tennessee provide respite care?

Yes. The foster-care board rate includes two respite days per month, subject to DCS rules regarding the respite provider and advance arrangements.

Do foster parents receive payments?

Yes. Licensed foster parents receive daily board payments intended to help meet the child's ordinary living expenses. Rates depend on the child's age, level of care, and current DCS policy.

Do foster children receive health insurance?

Children in Tennessee foster care generally receive healthcare coverage through TennCare.

Can relatives become foster parents?

Yes. Relatives and kin may become approved foster parents when DCS has custody of the child. They must complete applicable training, background checks, a home study, and safety requirements.

Can foster parents adopt?

Yes. When a child becomes legally free for adoption and adoption is the approved permanency goal, the child's foster family may be considered and often receives preference because of the existing relationship.

Does fostering guarantee adoption?

No. Tennessee cannot promise that a foster child will become available for adoption. Reunification remains the primary goal for most children entering care.

Is adoption assistance available?

Yes. Eligible children adopted from DCS custody may receive a monthly subsidy, TennCare, reimbursement of qualifying nonrecurring expenses, and post-adoption support.

Can foster parents challenge a placement move?

In some circumstances. Tennessee foster parents may appeal certain placement moves when a child has lived in their home for more than 12 months and the move is not based on exigent circumstances.

How do I report suspected child abuse or neglect?

Reports may be made to the Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline at 1-877-237-0004 or through Tennessee's online reporting system when appropriate. Call 911 when a child is in immediate danger.

State Agency

Tennessee Department of Children's Services

Phone

1-877-327-5437

Email

[email protected]

Address

315 Deaderick Street, UBS Tower, Nashville, TN 37238