Stearns County is looking for people willing to provide foster care using a new approach. “Resource parents” serve children under the age of 8 who are at risk of being removed permanently from their home due to abuse or neglect. The state of Minnesota now requires that a plan for placing these children into a permanent home be developed within six months of initial placement. That means as soon as the children are taken out of the home, two things must happen. One is to provide services for the parents that will change the conditions that led to placement, allowing the children to return home safely as soon as possible. Secondly, a “back-up” plan must be developed in case the children cannot return home safely. It includes searching for relatives who would be willing to provide day-to-day care for the children while Mom and Dad “get back on their feet.” Sometimes relatives are not available – then the children need foster families who can care for them. Both relative- and non-relative-caregivers are referred to as “resource families.” Unique responsibilities “These special parents provide a stable, structured, nurturing home environment to meet the child’s individual needs. Resource parents are also in a unique position to provide moral support to the birth parents,” Stearns County Foster Care Social Worker Ellen Kampa-Evans said. “They get to know birth parents, and may even mentor positive parenting skills. They communicate with birth parents, depending on the needs of the child and the nature of the case. “Resource parents know that the primary goal is for the children to return to the parental home. However, if this is not possible, they are willing to provide a permanent home for the child.” It’s about the kids The goals of this new approach are two-fold: to reduce the amount of time children spend in foster care by getting them back with their parents or into a permanent placement home faster, and to reduce the number of moves children experience in foster care. “It’s in the child’s best interest to provide for their future if they cannot return to the parents home safely within the court-established timeliness,” Evans said. Is it right for you? Evans cautions that being a resource parent, and there is risk emotional pain. “The idea is for children in placement to suffer less than they otherwise would,” she stated. “The ideal resource parent is one who believes that children belong with their parents if that can be accomplished safely.” There is training and support available. For more information about foster parenting opportunities in Stearns County call Ellen Kampa-Evans at (320) 656-6118.
