What is foster care?
When you are a foster parent, you take care of a child until they can be reunited with a birth parent or adopted. The main goal of foster care is to reunite a child with their birth family if possible. Foster care is not the same as adoption.
General Foster Care
Children in foster care need a safe, loving home where they can thrive! Each child is unique, but every child has experienced trauma and needs a family determined to care for them well.
Specialized Foster Care
Every child is unique. Some children in foster care need more care than others. This includes children with medical conditions and developmental disabilities.
Respite Foster Care
Foster families need our support too. Respite care means taking over caregiving temporarily, giving the primary foster parent a break. Respite care can be arranged in advanced, or in an emergency.
Extended Foster Care
Children in foster care can receive services until they are 21 years old, so there are opportunities to foster and support young adults and older teens.
Who are foster parents?
We help many different children, so we need many different parents. Our foster families – like our children in foster care – come from all different backgrounds and cultures, practice different faiths, and speak different languages. Our foster families include:
Single adults
Apartment dwellers
Kinship caregivers
Caregivers with medical experience
Spanish-speaking families
Families of all makeups
Adults with disabilities
Caregivers from all walks of life!
Who are children in foster care?
Children in foster care are just like any other children, who have the same interests and like the same activities as children you already know. Children in foster care are kids who love basketball and superheroes, who love animals and want a dog of their own. They love art and singing Taylor Swift at the top of their lungs.
Children who need foster homes are often:
Teenagers
In Tennessee, we need foster homes for children who are 12 years or older. We don’t often have infants who need a home. Since youth can receive services until they’re 21 years old, we need foster families who can support them during this critical time. Teenagers especially benefit from supportive homes as they grow up and learn more about who they are.
Sibling groups
It’s important that we keep siblings together, so we need foster homes who can take care of more than one child. Sibling groups typically include between 2 and 6 children.
Children with medical needs
Some children in foster care need more specialized care than others. This includes children with medical conditions or developmental disabilities. For these children, we need foster families who are experienced caregivers. Sometimes, these children need full-time caregivers.
Did you know…?
In 2023, there were approximately
8,000 children in foster care in Tennessee
and less than
5,000 licensed homes
For a more detailed report: www.fostercarecapacity.com/states/tennessee
From Tennesseans
“In the midst of the brokenness and chaos of foster care, there are glimpses of hope and healing and there are stories of redemption. And I’ll be forever grateful.”
Sarah
Foster Parent
“Fostering and adoption will change you and put you in beautiful circles, conversations, and communities.”
Kendall
Foster Parent
“As a former foster/adoptive parent, and now a DCS employee, I have seen the fostering process from every angle. Foster parents are a vital member of the team and to the success of a child. Foster parents make a difference in a child’s life.”
Cady
Caseworker
