Biological Parents Questions about Foster Care

I do not speak for all foster parents and I do know that there are a few bad apples out there. How you work with most foster parents is by making your concerns about your children not about your personal concerns. Foster parents for the most part are willing to work with the biological parents. Problems arise quickly when biological parents get defensive and angry with the care of the children or feelings towards the foster parents. Biological parents cannot have the attitude that the foster parents are providing a babysitting service for their children, so that our plans must revolve around them, or that we somehow owe something to them.

Personally I am more out to work with a biological parent when they do not direct their issues or anger towards me. So, my advice is to take a step back and not to look for reasons like taking your children out of town to family functions to be angry with the foster family. Direct your feelings towards what is in the best interest of your children even if that means doing family things with the foster family and work your plan that child welfare has set for you to get your children back.

Biological mother would like to know more about foster families traveling with a foster child across the state or out of the state.

First how each state handles their child welfare is different. For the most part traveling within the state is not a big deal. The caseworker needs to be notified if the foster child will be gone for a period of time (like 48 -72 hours). When a foster family takes a foster child across state lines then they have to get permission form the court but really this is not a big deal. I personally live a few miles away from another state so, I always get court permission with each of my foster children to take them for day trips across state lines. If we decide to stay overnight we would have to get permission from the court.

I encourage other foster parents to leave their advice and opinions below.


Tomorrow I will answer questions and provide more information about a family concerning kinship foster care placements.

More reading:

Biological Parents Needing Additional Help

Public Concerned With Overall Foster Care System