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Interested in Fostering?

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There is an urgent need for foster families in Wisconsin who are prepared to offer both their homes and support to children requiring foster care. Children experience improved outcomes when placed in environments that ensure stability, guidance, and nurturing care. Foster care involves the temporary arrangement of placing a child with a family other than their birth family, due to factors affecting the child's original household or while necessary procedures related to adoption are completed.

​​Foster parents are primarily ordinary people who have decided to step-up to make a difference in the life of a child, but they are often not alone in their work. Most foster agencies offer support to help foster parents be successful. Often the foster parents make up a small part of the overall foster care team, which can include the child, foster-adopt parents, mental health providers, educators, child advocates, medical providers, case workers, the child's biological parents, and the court. The goal of this team is to ensure the needs of the child are being met, and to find the child a permanent home, including reunification with the biological parents.

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There are several different types of foster care, including traditional care, emergency foster care and respite foster care. 

 

In the traditional foster care model, a small number of children can stay with a single foster parent or family. Usually this occurs in the foster parents' home and can last for a few months or even years. If necessary, this care may even be only a few days or months, depending on the reunification plan with their biological parents.

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If a social worker or system cannot figure out a longer term solution for a foster child, an emergency foster care home is available 24 hours a day to receive children in need. This can happen due to a parent being arrested or a similar situation where the child needs a place to go immediately.

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Respite foster care is available for a few days at a time to give families a break from stressful situations. This gives the primary foster family a short period of time to rest.​

Are you ready to take the next step?

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To become a foster parent, you must meet all of the following:

  • 21 years of age or older 

  • Responsible adult, as defined in Ch. 56.05(1)

  • Criminal background check, law violations and other background information requirements

  • Your home must meet all physical environment requirements

  • Complete foster home licensing requirements are listed in Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter DCF 56

Foster care coordinators work closely with the foster homes licensed by their agency. 

Foster care coordinators will hold families accountable to following the foster care rules and policies.

​The foster care coordinator will give you more information about becoming a foster parent with their agency, such as:

  • Licensing requirements, policies and standards

  • What to expect as a foster parent

  • The foster parent application for their agency​​

​​During the application process, you will fill out paperwork and meet with a licensing specialist who will complete the licensing process for you and your home.

Counties, tribes and private agencies license foster parents in Wisconsin. ​

  • To learn about becoming a licensed foster parent, contact the foster care coordinator in the county you live in.

    • If you live in Milwaukee County, go to Foster Care in Milwaukee County for more information.

  • To learn about becoming a licensed foster parent through a private Child Placing Agency, visit the Child Placing Agency Directory for more information.

  • To learn about becoming a tribal foster parent, contact the tribal foster care coordinator for your tribe.

Indian tribes are sovereign nations, which means they can create their own laws and regulations for certain programs or services. While some tribes use state licensing requirements, others have their own standards and policies. Foster parents licensed by or working with a tribe should contact the respective tribal agency to learn about the tribe’s policies.

Information taken from the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. For more information, please click the buttons below to visit the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families at dcf.wisconsin.

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