Becoming a foster parent

Foster parents need to be able to provide secure care and safety to a child who comes from an unsafe situation or has had difficulties.

Assessment of the eligibility of foster parents

The National Agency for Children and Families (BOFS) is responsible for assessing the suitability of expectant foster parents. First, it is determined whether foster parents meet the general requirements in accordance with the Child Protection Act. This means that foster parents:

• Are in good general health

• Expect stability

• Have financial and social security

If these requirements are met, the competence of foster parents is assessed. That assessment is mostly conducted through foster parent courses at the National Agency for Children and Families.

It is common that those who apply to become foster parents have been granted similar permits before, such as for support families, but foster parents are subject to further requirements.

The evaluation process examines the general attitudes of applicants, such as the expectations the applicant has about having a foster child, the experience of the applicant, and the attitude to children. Special emphasis is placed on the applicant's ability to:

• Be able to care for and raise a child

• Meet the needs of the child and dealing with the irregularities in his/her developmental process

• Support the relationship between the child and his/her family as appropriate

• Foster a child’s ability to form a trusting, lasting and developing relationship

• Cooperate with child protection, parents and others involved in caring for a child

If applicants wish to care for a child who has severe behavioural difficulties due to mental, emotional or related problems, the applicant is required to be prepared to work on special care and training in their home. It is expected that foster parents in that role have in-depth experience and knowledge.

Issuing and renewing a permit

If the applicant receives a positive evaluation, the Quality and Supervisory Authority of Welfare (GEV) takes the final decision on the issue of a permit, which can be issued to foster parents for a period of up to five years.

The permits are general, so no application is made with each child as was previously done. However, GEV may issue a conditional permit limited to a specific child if there is a reason for that.

Before the permit expires, foster parents must apply for renewal. It is good to do so with a few months' notice as the process can be time-consuming. When renewing, GEV calls for information from the child protection services and the National Agency for Children and Families.

Approval and the next steps

When a foster care permit is granted by GEV, the foster parents are listed at the National Agency for Children and Families.

In the competence assessment, foster parents have been introduced to the various types of foster care and have made a decision about what type of care they can offer. Discussions include whether children of a certain age might be more suitable than others, and children’s behaviour and special needs.

The Child Protection Service applies for foster homes for children to the National Agency for Children and Families. The foster care team staff then review the list and see which foster parents could be suitable for the child based on various factors. Contact is made with the potential foster parents to see if it is possible to take the child into the home within the time frame in question.

If foster parents consent to the foster care arrangement, the child protection services contact the child for further information and the transition to foster care begins.

Foster parents have the right to refuse the proposed foster care arrangement and remain to the list at the National Agency for Children and Families.