Anyone here do foster care?

[alotofgooddeals]

i have few questions and would love to correspond with someone who does foster care...I work with special needs children and yesterday was a really big eye opener for me..There was this little girl who is 3....She is just learning how to walk...is blind in one eye and has tremors...not sure what her diagnosis is but she is absolutely beautiful...I fell in love with her....her home life is absolutely horrific but her mom is trying the best that she can....however I plan on helping out as much as i can....because we work directly with the child we are not able to correspond on weekends etc or have a relationship with them outside of work but i do plan on purchasing some items and just telling the special ed teacher to give them to her saying they were donated..but after working with her yesterday i realized i have so much more to give....and would love to take in a child through the foster care system...however not sure how it works or where to look for information... thanks for your help....

[HisDaisy]

My dh and I are foster parents. It is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have ever done.
As for who to contact, it depends on the state you are in. You can be licensed through the county or a private agency. We are licensed through the county (as are most foster parents in our county).
I would start by contacting the department of human services division of child and family services. I have found that most states have information on the there dhs website.
It can be a long process. Usually you need to get a background check, take classes (ours were 3 hrs a week for 8 weeks) and then complete a homestudy.
If you have any other questions you can pm me.