Across the United States, a number of states have enacted a Foster Parent Bill of Rights: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington.
Other states have various codes or policies that are somewhat similar in nature. Here are some general provisions gleaned from reviewing several states’ regulations pertaining to foster parents:
- Resource parents must be treated with dignity, respect and trust
- Prohibition on discrimination
- Respect for family values and beliefs
Not everyone who falls in love at first sight does it romantically. Parents telling the story of the first time they saw their child often describe their depth of emotion in much the same way as someone might describe the first time they saw their significant other: an overwhelming feeling of destiny or that they would do anything to be with that person and keep them safe from harm.
This change has resulted in more grandparents raising grandchildren then ever before. In 2012, National KIDS COUNT reported that 4% of all children under the age of 18 in the United States were living in a home where a grandparent was their primary caregiver. This number is likely to rise going forward.
Fifteen states require between four and nine hours of annual training. The majority of states (thirty-one) have requirements that range from ten to twenty hours per year.
In attendance were Allison Blake, PhD, Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF); Mary Jane Awrachow, CEO of FAFS; Tara Rizzolo, FAFS Director of Scholarship Programs; Kara Wood, Director of the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency; Fran Gervasi, FAFS Director of Education and Training; graduates, current scholars and various guests. The event theme was “Red Carpet – Starring the Scholars.”