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Foster care with Logan County Children's Services is the full-time, temporary care of a child (birth to 18 years of age) in a family foster home that has been certified according to guidelines set by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. This child cannot stay in their own home due to serious family problems, and there is no suitable relative available to provide for them. The child may have been a victim of abuse or neglect. Foster care is a way to provide for this child on a full-time, temporary basis. Families can be licensed for Traditional Foster Care or Treatment Foster Care. How do these children come to our agency? Some families voluntarily seek help from Children's Services and ask that a foster home be provided for their children until their crisis is over. The Juvenile Court also may place children under the temporary custody of the agency. The rules affecting children coming into foster care are set and monitored by federal and state laws. What kind of behavior can be expected from Traditional Foster Care children? There are as many types of behavior as there are types of children. Some may be withdrawn and hardly say anything. Others may be loud and appear to have obnoxious behavior. Bed-wetters long past the toddler age are not unusual. Also, some children may steal or lie. Because of varied backgrounds and desperation felt by these children, each one has developed his or her own way of coping. Each child needs consistency and firm, caring attention. It is a challenging job to be a foster parent, but not impossible; and it is not without its rewards. The child's caseworker and the foster parent work together as a team to meet each child's needs. What kind of behavior can be expected from Treatment Foster Care children? Treatment Foster Parents provide a home that provides special rehabilitative services designed to treat the specific needs of children who have exceptional requirements. These children may display behavioral problems including acting out behavior, aggressiveness and delinquent behaviors such as truancy, running away, substance abuse and/or other emotional problems. These children may have MR/DD, mental health and physical conditions that require specialized care. Treatment Foster Care children require a heightened level of care and supervision, beyond that required in Traditional Foster Care Who are Foster Parents? Foster Parents are concerned persons who can provide for the needs of a child while the child is temporarily in their home. They provide food, shelter, guidance, acceptance, and especially understanding and support for the child when they are away from their natural family and familiar surroundings. Foster Parents may also work with birth families, depending on each situation. They must be willing to give of themselves without expecting a child to give back to them. Foster Parents are paid a board rate to reimburse them for their expenses of food, shelter, and miscellaneous items. Logan County Children's Services provides medical care through Medicaid. Foster Parent Qualifications Foster Parents must be at least 21 years of age. A single person or a couple can be considered. If the applicants are two adults, they must have lived together in the same household for at least one year. The applicant(s) must have sufficient income to meet the financial needs of their family. All members of the family must be in good physical, mental, and emotional health. The physical aspects of the home shall meet requirements of safety and health as set by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Foster Parents must be mature and stable individuals who can give guidance and security to a foster child. They must have general knowledge of child care and child development. A Foster Parent applicant can have no convictions for crimes related to violence, sexual abuse, drug corruption, or drug trafficking. Pre-service training is required of each applicant prior to being certified. This training is provided by Logan County Children's Services. Please contact us for additional information on the Traditional/ Treatment Foster Care programs |
