Become a Foster Parent
Studies have shown that when you say “yes” to fostering, you are saying “yes” to a powerful impact in a person’s life. Opening your heart and home to children in need can reshape and improve their sense of security, trust, and self-worth. These qualities are essential to effective executive functioning and decision-making for an overall brighter future.
Our Foster Families are an Important Part of Our Extended Family
Wellroot is dedicated to equipping individuals and couples interested in fostering with the resources and knowledge they need to support children in their care and provide them with safe, loving, stable homes. We consistently exceed Georgia’s standards for foster care providers and maintain the highest performance scores in the areas of permanency, safety and well-being of children.
Our Process
In just four months, you can become a Wellroot foster family! From starting the process to finding permanency for your foster child, we will support you every step of the way. Our dedicated team offers quality service, specialized staff, and an intensive staff-to-client ratio, all backed by accreditation from the Council on Accreditation and EAGLE Accreditation.
Can I Become a Foster Parent?
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, the following are a few key requirements to consider:
- Age – In general, you must be at least 25 years of age. There isn’t an age cap, but assessments of health and financial stability are part of the home study process.
- Married, Single, Widowed, or Divorced – Regardless of relationship status, everyone in the home needs to be jointly on board for fostering. All adults in the home must be related by blood or marriage.
- Home Type – You can own or rent and still foster. The important factor is having sufficient space. State licensing rules are specific about room size and privacy, meaning children should not share a room with an adult after age 1 or another child of a different sex after age 4.
How Does Our Program Work?
Foster families are recruited, trained, and approved through Wellroot. These families are then assigned to one of our foster care workers, and we match referred children to a family that will provide a safe, nurturing temporary home.
We incorporate a family-centered approach that creates a partnership between the children’s birth and foster families to increase the likelihood that the child will permanently return home to their birth family. When this is not possible, Wellroot assists with the process of establishing a permanent home for the children.
We also provide these services in support of our foster families:
- Training and support foster parents on an ongoing basis so they can successfully provide care
- Assessing, planning, and coordinating services for the child
- Advocating for the child within the court, education, and DFCS systems
- Collaborating and creating partnerships within the community for the benefit of the child and birth family
- Supervising birth parent-child visitation
- Maintaining a 24-hour intake and support line
