Foster Care in WV and the Basic Certification Requirements
Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot safely care for them. When a child is abused and/or neglected by their guardian, it is brought to the attention (usually by a report of child abuse or neglect) to the Department of Health and Human Resources. Social workers will then investigate and if the report is found to be true, the child(ren) is then removed from the unsafe situation and placed into the state’s foster care system.
These children range in age from babies to teens and are most often placed in foster care through no fault of their own. While in foster care, children might live with a relative, a certified foster family or in a residential facility. In a residential facility, a group of children in foster care live together with staff members who work in shifts. In West Virginia, there are nearly 7,000 kids in foster care so there is a great need for more foster families to provide a caring and loving home.
The ultimate goal of foster care is for children to return to their home, this is also called reunification. In the best situation, the child or children’s parents can make the changes that are needed to safely parent. The amount of time children stay in foster care depends on their family’s situation. This could mean a short stay in foster care or could be a longer amount of time depending on what changes or program the court has required the parents to complete.
If the child’s birth parents are unable to safely parent their child(ren) and make the changes that are necessary, the parent(s) can voluntarily give up their parental rights OR the court can terminate the parents’ rights. The child(ren) is/are then legally eligible for adoption, which can be finalized in a court of law. The adoptive parent then becomes the child’s legal parent and has the same formal and legal responsibility for the child as if they were the biological parent.
The criteria to be a foster parent and/or to adopt from foster care are the same. They include the following:
Have a stable and secure income
Have stable family relationships- you can be single, married, same sex couple, divorced or cohabitating
Be physically and mentally healthy
Have adequate space in your home (you may rent or own)
Have no child OR adult substantiated abuse/neglect findings or criminal convictions
*Requirements may vary depending on the agency you are working with.
Contact Mission West Virginia! We will mail or email you an information guide and a list of agencies that serve the county you live in. We also have a page on our website that explains the process to foster care certification. Our guide includes Frequently Asked Questions, the steps to certification, general requirements and more. We are also available to speak with you on the phone, we are happy to answer your questions and help you get started on this journey.