Becoming a Foster Parent
Who are Foster Parents?
Foster parents are a unique group of people. Some are married couples, some have other children, some are single, and some have children of their own who are grown and independent. Foster parents come from many diverse backgrounds, lifestyles and income levels.
Foster parents have one thing in common: they want to provide children with a temporary supportive home while they are separated from their families.
Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent
Wesley House Family Services recruits, trains, and supports foster parents for Monroe County children who can no longer remain safely in their own homes and do not have relatives to care for them.
Wesley House Family Services offers the Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education (PRIDE) pre-service training course for prospective foster families. This course is required for anyone who wishes to become a licensed foster parent in Monroe County. Becoming a foster parent is a big responsibility. The PRIDE pre-service training will assist you and your family in deciding if foster care is right for you. While participation in the PRIDE training course is the biggest step in becoming a foster parent, there are several additional steps outlined below in order to obtain your foster care license.
- Completion of the PRIDE Application
- Completion of the 9 session PRIDE pre-service training course - sessions occur on a weekly basis and are 3 hours in length
- Completion of two additional child safety training courses (total 8 hours)
- Passing criminal and child abuse background checks, including fingerprinting
- Participating in family assessments that occur in your home with a foster care licensing staff member - this includes a physical assessment of your home to ensure proper safety measures are in place (i.e. smoke detector) and to ensure there is adequate space for a foster child.
Enrollment in the PRIDE pre-service training is not ongoing. However, the course is held several times a year in various locations throughout the Florida Keys. If you are interested in becoming a foster parent or would like more information, please contact Molly McAteer at (305) 809-5000.
Please note: if you would like information on our adoption services, please refer to the adoption section of our website that is available via the Wesley House home page.
305.809.5000