Is child foster care right for you?
Foster care keeps children safe while supporting families’ efforts to reunify. Dakota County’s focus is assisting children who are in need of a safe home. Our role is not to place or locate children for the benefit of foster care provider needs — our emphasis is the children.
Most children who enter Dakota County Foster Care return to their families. When families are not able to reunite, foster parents are used to provide a safe, stable, nurturing home until a relative can be found to care for the children. In some cases, foster families may be asked to provide a permanent home for children that cannot be reunified with their family or reside with a family member.
Foster parents make a difference every day in the lives of children in need. Many children that enter foster care have experienced or witnessed domestic violence and /or family trauma or have special developmental needs. It is important to understand that children entering foster care may arrive with a complex history. Foster care providers:
- Maintain professional boundaries
- Demonstrate patience and flexibility
- Are objective and supportive
- Understand the practice of reunification
These are all qualities a foster care provider should possess. At Dakota County, we understand that providing foster care may not be easy, and we are here as a support. Consider opening your heart and home to a child in need.