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  What is Fostering?  

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About Fostering

ABOUFOSTERING
Anchor 2

What is Foster Parenting?
Trumbull County Children Services needs foster families to care for children until they can return to their birth families.  Foster parents provide for a child’s physical, emotional and social needs over a temporary period of time.  Often, these children are victims of abuse and neglect and possess their own unique health and developmental challenges. Foster parents are considered a part of our team and work together with the Trumbull County Children Services for the well-being of the children.

Won’t you consider being a member of our team?

Fostering Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

  • All foster parents must be licensed by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services;

  • You must be at least 18 years of age to foster;

  • You may be married, single or divorced;

  • You may have other children;

  • You may own or rent your home or apartment, each child must have their own bed;

  • You must have income sufficient to meet the basic needs of the household;

  • Security clearances, fingerprints, medical exam and psychological exams are required;

  • Committed to caring for children;

  • Able to accept children as they are and work as a team with birth family and agency staff; and

  • Able to provide support and be a strong role model.

Process of Fostering

PROCESS

Training
Applicants must complete 24 hours of Pre-Service Training and First Aid/CPR certification.  Click Here to proceed to the schedule of pre-service trainings and First Aid/CPR below.  Trumbull County Children Services offers the Pre-Service training at least three times per year and also requires prospective foster families to complete an additional six hours of training on the topics of agency policies and Family-to-Family.  If you are married or have a domestic partner, both of you must complete the training;
 

Other Requirements

  • You must complete a home study with an assessor, which includes a home safety audit and several interviews;

  • Provide a list of references and financial information;

  • Complete a BCI and FBI check and security clearances; and

  • Complete a psychological evaluation.


Trumbull County licenses all of our foster families as "foster-to-adopt."  In the event that reunification with the birth family is not possible and the agency obtains permanent custody, an adoption plan is made for the child.  If a foster caregiver is identified as an adoptive placement for a child in our Agency's permanent custody, there are no fees associated with the home study.

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If you are interested in adopting a child listed on our Children in Waiting webpage, please contact our agency at 330-372-2010 for more information. In addition, the Ohio Adoptive Guide: A Handbook for prospective adoptive families, is a valuable resource for families with questions regarding adoption.

Mentoring Program

mentor program

Trumbull County Children Services has a mentoring program titled FOCUS. The acronym FOCUS stands for Families Offering Care, Understanding and Support.  Mentors are experienced foster and adoptive caregivers who guide newly certified families with information, resources and support.

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Services mentors provide include the following:

  • Act as a source of information and direction for caregivers;

  • Offer insight and understanding to the families’ needs;

  • Share options with the caregivers so they can make an informed choice in the way they work with the child and the family of the child in their care;

  • Encourage problem solving skills on how to best work with the agency;

  • Encourage activities that add experience and skill development to families;

  • Serve as a confidant in times of personal crisis and adhere to strict confidentiality and conflict of interest policy;

  • Provide data monthly to the agency on each family being mentored.

 

Mentors are assigned for several reasons, including but not limited to:

  • Newly certified families for their first year of certification;

  • Families struggling with children leaving their homes;

  • Families undergoing an investigation.

Submitting An Inquiry

Submitting an Inquiry

Creating your Ohio Certification for Agencies and Families (OCAF) Account

Thank you for choosing to inquire about becoming a foster caregiver in Trumbull County.  To begin, all potential applicants must submit an inquiry through the Ohio Certification for Agencies and Families System (OCAF) to create an OH|ID.  The OH|ID is an online user account that provides a secure, personalized experience for Ohioans to interact with multiple state agencies, programs, and services – all with a single username and password. 

To initiate the inquiry process, please call our recruitment specialist at, 330-372-2010, ext. 1343.  We will collect basic information about your family to create the account and then OCAF will send you an email with a link to create your OH|ID. 

Registered Users CLICK HERE to be directed to the OCAF Log in Page.

Creating Your Training Account (CAPS LMS)

Creating Your Training Account

Foster Training Schedules

TRAINING

Pre-Service Training 
In-Person & Virtual

Ongoing Training 
In-Person & Virtual

CPR/First Aid Training

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