Foster parents have a very special and sensitive task to perform and, by necessity, must be “special kind of people.” Foster parenting goes beyond parenting one’s own biological children. It requires the skills needed for “normal” parenting and then some. Knowledge, skills and capacities important to this role include the following: 

• Confidence in oneself and the ability to find satisfaction in being a foster parent. (KNOW THEIR FAMILY; MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION.) 

• Ability to consider a child’s needs first, to accept the child with warmth and love. (KNOW THE CHILDREN.) 

• Capacity to create an atmosphere of compassion, encouragement and stability, with needed flexibility. (BUILD SELF-ESTEEM.) 

• Ability to provide kind but firm and appropriate discipline, consistent with state policy. (MANAGE BEHAVIORS.) 

• Knowledge about normal development of children and a child’s need for love, protection, encouragement and limit setting at various stages of life. (KNOW THE CHILDREN; BUILD STRENGTHS/MEET NEEDS; MANAGE BEHAVIORS.) 

• Ability and willingness to use the supervisory help of the case manager in meeting the child’s needs. (WORK IN PARTNERSHIP; KNOW THE CHILDREN) 

• Ability to accept birth parents as individuals important to the child(ren) and to refrain from making negative comments about parents. (WORK IN PARTNERSHIP; BUILD SELF-ESTEEM; BUILD CONNECTIONS.) 

• Ability to share parental authority and responsibility with birth parents and to help the child, at his level of functioning, understand these responsibilities. (WORK IN PARTNERSHIP; BUILD CONNECTIONS; ASSURE HEALTH AND SAFETY.) 

• Ability to cooperate with the Case Manager in helping birth parents carry out planned activities for the child(ren). (WORK IN PARTNERSHIP.)

• Ability to teach the children acceptable ways of behaving and standards of good conduct; to use judgment as to whether the behavior of a child is in keeping with his age, problems, feelings of security in your home, and to hold to reasonable expectations of the child. (KNOW THE CHILDREN; MANAGE BEHAVIORS; COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.) 

• Ability to support the child in sorting out who he is. (BUILD STRENGTHS/MEET NEEDS; BUILD CONNECTIONS; COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.) 

• Capacity to use day-to-day events to help the child learn new information and how to live with others. (COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY; BUILD STRENGTHS/MEET NEEDS.) 

• Knowledge of community programs which may help the child. (KNOW THE CHILDREN; BUILD STRENGTHS/MEET NEEDS.) 

• Ability to give the needed support for a child’s participation in community activities. (WORK IN PARTNERSHIP; BUILD STRENGTHS/MEET NEEDS.) 

• Ability to maintain an atmosphere of optimism and enjoyment, and a sense of humor. (KNOW THEIR FAMILY; ASSURE HEALTH AND SAFETY.) 

• Ability to keep confidential all information about the child(ren) and his birth family. (ASSURE HEALTH AND SAFETY; WORK IN PARTNERSHIP.)

Page 6