A quarter of the children who are in foster care are placed in the home of a family member
Research indicates children are more successful and less traumatized when placed in the care of kin. Every effort is made to identify relative caregivers when children are in need of placement. The Center for Youth and Family Solutions’ Relative Foster Care Program is designed to maintain children in the care of a relative when out of home placement is necessary. Our agency works diligently with relatives to support the continued familial relationships and maintain the cultural identity of each child
As a relative caregiver, you may not have had time to prepare to take care of the children who are now in your home. To help you with the initial adjustment and in meeting all of the needs of the children, you will have the same quality of care as other foster parents. Our foster care caseworkers and licensing staff will meet with you and walk you through the process. They will answer your questions and provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions.
To help you with the extra expense that may come as a result of the child’s everyday needs, you will receive a monthly subsidy. This subsidy assists with day-to-day caregiving, housing, schooling and counseling needs that you are now managing.
Our Foster Care Licensing Staff will work with you to understand the process of licensure. This process includes:
- Completing a foster parent application
- Completing authorizations for background checks for everyone in your home, ages 13+
- Completing fingerprinting for everyone in your home, ages 18+ within 30 days of placement
- Completing physical exams, for everyone in your home, ages 18+
- Attending the free DCFS PRIDE Relative sessions or watch the first two sessions of PRIDE training on DVD, followed by the homework
- Attend the CYFS Relative Caregiver Training to become acquainted with our foster care staff, meet other relative caregivers and learn about community resources
- Working with our licensing worker to help assess how we can better support you as you take on these new challenges
- Meeting with our licensing worker to complete the home study & sign all necessary paperwork to complete the licensing process.
Stepping in to help children in your family is not easy. CYFS provides a wide variety of support groups, special events and training to help. Let our foster care and licensing staff help you as you help your family.