Wyoming Department of Family Services

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Foster Care & Foster Care Training

Foster Care is the temporary service provided to ensure the safety and well-being of children/youth while in out-of-home care. Foster homes are needed for all ages, but especially for teens and sibling groups.

Listen to a short Public Service Announcement (PSA) from a teen on how a foster family made all the difference for him:

Here is a PSA with a story of a family who took care of a brother and sister with the support of their faith community:

It takes a team to make a difference in the life of a child so we are excited about your interest in our foster care program!! Here are some Frequently Asked Questions:

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Who can become a foster parent?
  • At least 21 years of age.
  • Singles and couples.
  • Good physical and emotional health.
  • Financially stable.
  • No history of substance abuse.
  • No criminal history as defined by certification policies. 
  • No history of child abuse or neglect as outlined by certification policies.  
What are the areas of greatest need?
  • Families to care for older youth and teens.
  • Families to care for sibling groups.
  • Families of color.
  • Families to care for children who have special health or behavioral needs. 
What do foster parents do?
  • Active participants of the Treatment Team.
  • Work with children’s parents, when appropriate, to assist with reunification efforts.
  • Provide food, clothing, housing, supervision, recreation, and transportation to needed services such as therapy, doctor and dental visits.
  • Most of all, provide nurturing and stability. 
What can I expect as a foster parent?
  • The chance to help children feel good about themselves.
  • Challenging experiences
  • The chance to learn and use special knowledge and skills.
  • An opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life.

 

Is there a need for more foster parents?
  • Yes!
Do foster parents receive financial assistance?
  • Foster parents are reimbursed for the cost of care for a foster child (such as food, clothing and housing).
  • Reimbursement varies depending on the age and needs of the child.
  • Children in foster care are covered by Medicaid for health and psychological services.
May foster parents adopt children?
  • Unless the Court orders otherwise, the Department of Family Services (DFS) and foster parents are required to work towards reunification with the child’s parents and make reasonable efforts to assist with resolving the issues which led to the removal.
  • If the biological parents do not resolve the issues, DFS may seek to terminate the parents’ rights thus freeing the child for adoption.
  • On occasion, children in the custody of DFS who become free for adoption can be adopted by their foster parents. 
Fostering is about Families

If you are interested in more information about how you can help, please contact a Wyoming Foster Care Coordinator in your area or complete and submit the following form:

Contact Us

I would like someone to contact me so I can lean more about becoming a Foster Parent in Wyoming.

Publications:
Index to Resources Available at the Wyoming State Library

Foster Care Training

Archived Training
Topic: Reasonable & Prudent Parent Standard (RPPS)

Information and all links for the Reasonable & Prudent Parent Standard (RPPS) Training for foster parents & caregivers (October, 2016)

All foster parents/caregivers are required to attend a training on the Reasonable & Prudent Parent Standard (RPPS) or watch the recorded webinar and submit the completed quiz to your Foster Care Coordinator (for which you will receive two (2) hours towards your training hours).

Summary of steps to complete the training (if not already completed):

  1. Prior to watching the RPPS webinar, please watch the Icebreaker Training Video here.
  2. Review the handouts in the “training packet” (below)
  3. Watch the webinar here or here.
  4. Read the Q&A
  5. Complete one of the training sections on your F-SS55a – Training Log and keep it for your records as documentation of training you have completed
  6. Complete and turn in the RPPS Quiz to your Foster Care Coordinator

Please let your Foster Care Coordinator or the child’s caseworker know if you have any questions.

Links to attachments in the “training packet”:
  • Power point slides – handout pages – click here.
  • Caregiver Guideline for Reasonable and Prudent Parenting (RPPS) – Summary – click here.
  • Family Foster Care Policy – 2.1.4.4 – Foster Parent Responsibilities – click here.
  • The Importance of Maintaining Parental Involvement (Foster Parent College/CWLA) – click here.
  • Bridging the Gap Between Resource Families & Birth Families (Foster Parent College/CWLA) – click here.  
  • Bridging the Gap Frequently Asked Questions: An Ice Breaker Guide for Social Workers and Foster Parents, click here.
  • Developmental Milestones (Foster Parent College) –  click here.
  • Effects of Trauma on Child Development (Foster Parent College/CWLA) – click here.
  • Child Traumatic Stress – A Primer for Resource Parents (Foster Parent College/CWLA) – click here.
  • Complex Trauma – Facts for Caregivers (Foster Parent College/CWLA) – click here.
  • Jigsaw Puzzle (CWLA – Resource 2C) – click here.
  • Reasonable & Prudent Parent Standard – Questions & Answers (10/16) – click here.
  • Training Log (form) – click here for a pdf version of the form or click here for a Word version.
  • Quiz – turn into you Foster Care Coordinator – click here.

Tom Kennah, 
Foster Care Program Manager
(307) 721-1951
thomas.kennah@wyo.gov