Becoming A Foster Parent In Contra Costa County
Resource Families provide a special service to children and to the community by providing love and ongoing care to children who cannot live with their birth families. Community members, close friends of the birth family and relatives of the birth family can all become Resource Families.
Children come into the foster care system because their biological families are unable to take care of them. Resource Families provide temporary homes until these children can be reunited with their own parents or move on to a permanent home. Children may need care for a few weeks, a few months and occasionally long-term or even a permanent home (adoption).
Resource Families do much more than provide shelter and supervision. They accept the challenge of nurturing the children in their care by providing stability, acceptance, guidance and love. Resource Families also ensure that the children receive the additional educational and therapeutic supports they may need.
Requirements for Resource Families
There are some very basic requirements that need to be met by all families interested in becoming a Resource Family. This list encompasses the most common conditions that must be met to become certified as a Resource Family.
- Your residence must be located in Contra Costa County and must meet basic health and safety standards established by the State of California
- The home must have sufficient bedrooms so that adults and children have separate bedrooms. Children may share a bedroom depending on their gender and age.
- Rooms commonly used for other purposes (e.g., dining room, hallway or garage) cannot be used as a bedroom by any member of the household.
- Each applicant must have sufficient income to meet his or her own family’s financial needs.
- A criminal record check will be conducted on each applicant and adult in the potential foster or adoptive home.
- Adult caretakers must be in reasonably good health and free of communicable diseases, especially TB. TB tests are required.
Support and Training
Each child placed with you will have a social worker. Social workers play a key role in the child’s life and are available to assist Resource Families in their efforts. In addition to coordinating birth parent visits, court appearances, and therapeutic services, social workers are oftentimes a Resource Family’s link to a variety of resources.
There are additional supportive groups for Resource Families such as the Foster Family Network (FFN). The FFN is a subordinate chapter of the California State Foster Parent Association, Inc. The FFN provides support, mentoring, education and links to valuable resources within the community. They also host a number of fun events throughout the year for Resource Families.
Lastly, financial assistance is also available for the children of the individuals who become Resource Families. See Foster Care Benefits.
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Caregiver and Liaison Support
If you are a caregiver (related and unrelated) for a Contra Costa County foster child and have concerns or need assistance, please call the Caregiver Liaison. They can assist you with issues that will support you caring for the children.
The Caregiver Liaison can be reached at:
[email protected]
(925) 655-4230
Family Urgent Response Systems
With the launch of the Family Urgent Response System (FURS) on March 1st, 2021, California’s children and youth who are currently and formerly in foster care, and their caregivers, will be able to access critical trauma-informed support 24/7.