Foster Parenting Requirements in North Carolina

General Requirements

• The state of North Carolina requires that all potential foster parents be at least 21 years of age at the time of applying for a license. The potential foster parent must also be able to provide proof of having a stable home and a reliable form of income. This is necessary to ensure that the potential foster parent can provide for the children in her care without relying completely on the financial compensation given to foster parents by the state to assist with costs of clothing, food, transportation and so on.

  A criminal background check, complete with fingerprints, is necessary to ensure that the individual does not have a violent criminal record or a record of child neglect or abuse, both of which make the individual ineligible to become a foster parent.

Pre-Service Training

• All potential foster parents are required to complete 30 hours of training prior to being licensed to provide foster care. This training is provided through the county department of social services, the supervising agency or private agencies. The training includes instruction in helping foster children cope with issues they are facing, working with birth parents, what to do if problems arise with a child, child care, and child abuse and neglect. Foster parents who will be providing care to special-needs children must also complete an additional 10 hours of training on special needs.

Home Requirements

• All members of the household must be approved mentally and physically by a physical examination by a licensed physician, with all adult members required to also have a TB test performed. All household members over the age of 18 must also have a background check performed by the state police and FBI. The house itself must pass a fire inspection, as well as an inspection by the supervising agency to verify that the home meets the requirements of the environmental and health regulations. There must also be a working telephone in the home and a bed for each child's personal use.

License

• The purpose of these requirements is to obtain a license to provide foster care. This license is issued by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services. The potential foster parents, once meeting all requirements, must submit an application for a license along with documentation of having met all state requirements to the local Division of Social Services. There, the application with be reviewed, and a license will be issued upon approval.