FOSTER CARE PROGRAMS

DO YOU HAVE ROOM IN YOU HEART AND HOME FOR A CHILD WHO NEEDS A TEMPORARY FAMILY?

Intro

Each day children of all ages need temporary foster home placement. Many of the children Bethanna serves have been subjected to physical, emotional, even sexual abuse in their young lives. Some are healthy, while others may have developmental, behavioral or medical needs. Their families have been torn apart by substance abuse, neglect, domestic violence and other crises. But all need Christ-like love, compassion, justice, and mercy. Children grow and develop to their fullest potential when raised in secure homes. This is where you can make a difference in a child's life. Would you join us in our commitment to providing children with stability, warmth and support until they are reunited with their birth families or placed in an alternate permanent home? Bethanna is looking for loving individuals and couples to become resource families for children in need of temporary foster care.


Who are the children most likely to need resource families?
The types of children most likely to need resource families are those who...

  • have specialized behavioral needs
  • have experienced neglect or abuse
  • are medically fragile
  • are born exposed to alcohol and drugs
  • are part of a sibling group
  • are children of color of all ages (birth -18, and some teen mothers and their babies)

Do all children who need resource families have problems?
Most foster and adoptive children have some struggles or challenges. They often are frightened and confused by the separation from their parents. Some are angry. Some are sad. Others think they are being punished. Even babies can be irritable and fretful at first. Most children need foster parents or adoptive parents because of something done to them, not something they have done. They are not "bad" children, nor are their families "bad". They have experienced challenging and often hurtful situations they need help to overcome.
What does it take to be a Resource Family?
Bethanna is looking for families willing to love a child as they would love their own, providing him or her with a safe and nurturing environment. A resource parent can be married or single, with or without children already in the household. Specific requirements include:

  • Age-at least 24 years old
  • Good health-a physical exam is required
  • Financially self-reliant and stable
  • Free from any criminal convictions related to Child Protective Services Laws
  • Able to maintain a safe environment for yourself and your foster child, including appropriate space in your home for your foster child (home ownership not necessary)
  • Able to transport child to health appointments (medical, dental, etc.), therapy appointments, as well as to family visits
  • Willing to meet with a social worker at least twice a month, and in some cases, weekly in your home to discuss children's care and ways to support their service plans


WHAT ARE THE STEPS TO BECOMING A BETHANNA RESOURCE PARENT?
The entire process takes about four months and includes these steps:

  • Attend an Information Session (Contact Bethanna's Family Resource Specialist for details) Adoptive & Foster Parent Interest Form
  • Complete a PRIDE pre-service training, involving 22 hours (8 sessions) of group orientation
  • Participate in 4 to 5 mutual assessment (home study) meetings with your assigned Family Resource Specialist
  • Complete safety check of your home by a Family Resource Specialist
  • Complete required paperwork, including background clearances for anyone in your home over 18 years old


HOW CAN I LEARN MORE?
If you are interested in learning more on how to become a Bethanna Resource Parent, we invite you to attend an information Session. Please contact us by filling out the: Adoptive & Foster Parent Interest Form.
Or by contacting Kamau Kanyi , Family Resource Specialist at 866-362-5455, ext.1304
Additional Resources to learn more:

Changing A Life Forever! Becoming a Bethanna Resource Family

Foster Care: Becoming a Bethanna Foster Care Parent Questionnaire

Adoption Questionnaire

Treatment Foster Care Questionnaire

Why Bethanna: As an agency with 75 years of experience, we are one of the larger foster agencies in the Southeast region of Pennsylvania. We provide an array of services to help meet the needs of the children we work with, and their families; these services include not only foster care program, but also Kinship Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care, Adoption program which is part of SWAN (State Wide Adoption Network), Mental Health Services, and Parenting classes.
Bethanna is committed to the loving people who become resource families to children in need. We stand "shoulder to shoulder" with our foster parents as they get to know their foster child and integrate her or him into their family life.
If you join our program, you will become part of a team which, every day in a quiet way, makes a real difference in our communities.