Assigning a child to a foster home best suited to meet his or her unique needs is key to helping the foster child adjust to and thrive in his or her new environment. Factors for consideration include: 

• Are relatives or fictive kin available and willing to serve as a placement resource? 

• If the child was previously in foster care, is that foster family available for the current placement? 

• If the child has siblings, can a sibling placement be made? 

• Is the child of Native American heritage? 

• Does the child have special needs, physical or emotional? 

• Is there a foster home near the child’s biological family? 

• Who are the other children in the home? Cultural, ethnic, or racial backgrounds can be considered when determining the best foster home for a child, but placement cannot be delayed or denied based on these factors alone.