Last week, we completed the interview for our home study report.  It was the final step in getting our Texas Foster Care License.

The woman who conducted the interview said it would take a couple of weeks for her to write-up the report and get it to our agency for approval.  Once approved, everything goes to the state for final approval and issuance of our license.

We truly are in the final stages now!

For those who are not familiar with the purpose of a Home Study report, it is an assessment to determine the safety of the home and how much space is available for foster children.

The person conducting the interview asked many questions regarding our motivation to provide foster care and how our children feel about becoming a foster family.  Personal questions are asked about our marriage and family life.  They ask about our growing up years and our relationships with extended family members.  They dive into our feeling about foster children, their bio parents, and our expectations.  The list goes on and on.

When it was all said and done, we were interviewed for about 7 hours in total!

The state is responsible for the care of these children and are doing everything possible to make sure the families they license are qualified to provide the care.

Needless-to-say, we’re happy to have the interview done and from what we were told, we did well 🙂

So now we wait . . . . . . . . . . .

I think it will probably be another 4-6 weeks before we have our license and there is no way to know how long we’ll wait to get the call for a placement after we’re licensed.  What I can tell you is that we have requested being licensed for 3 children.  We will accept 2 as full-time placements and keep a bed open to provide respite care for other foster families.

Our age range is 0-5 and we will accept boys or girls, although Naomi has put her vote in for at least one girl 🙂

While we wait, I thought I’d share some additional information . . . .

There is a huge need for more foster families across the U.S.

But what about those people who want to help in ways other than becoming foster parents?

Here are some suggestions for you.

– Most foster care agencies will accept donations of clothing, toys, books, bikes, diapers, hygiene products, etc.  The clothing, toys, books and bikes don’t have to be new, but they do need to be in good condition.

– Our local homeschool group is still collecting monetary donations to provide duffel bags to foster children who are removed from their homes with virtually nothing.  We only have until March 24th to collect the money, so there is a little time.  https://www.togetherwerise.org/fundraise/KHFK  It’s a good way to put a smile on the face of a foster child.

– If you have a friend or relative who is already a foster parent, you could offer to complete the necessary requirements to provide babysitting services or respite care.

– How about simply providing emotional support to a foster parent.  Maybe invite them out for coffee or offer to meet them at a park with the kids.  Sometimes just having another adult to talk to is a HUGE benefit to a foster mom or dad.

– Offer your assistance to a foster family.  I remember when I got the call about our foster sons.  Hubby was out-of-town on business and I needed to go to the CPS office to pick them up.  I was able to call on my sisters to come and stay with my girls while I went to get the boys.  Knowing I had someone I could call to help out at the last minute was a tremendous help.  Maybe you could provide that kind of help to someone you know.

– So often, foster children are removed from their homes with little to nothing (thus the reason for the duffel bag fundraiser above).  In addition to donating to a cause like “Together We Rise”, you could offer to meet foster mom at the store to help her pick up the diapers, formula, bottles, clothes, toys and hygiene products that did not come with the child(ren) she is now fostering.  When someone has just taken on the responsibility of additional children, having an extra set of hands on that first day is a wonderful way to provide assistance.

– You could volunteer to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).

For those who are looking for an opportunity to do something to help, I hope you found the list helpful.

And now, back to waiting.