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If you are interested in foster/adoptive parenting, the following steps are a guide to what you may expect:
1. Inquiry: Call AFFM and we will explain the process you are about to enter.We will then give you the DHHS office nearest your home for you to contact about attending an informational meeting.
2. Information: Attend a D.H.H.S. information meeting to hear about the needs of children served by D.H.H.S. The meeting will help educate you about the process of becoming a foster/adoptive parent.
3. Application: After you have had a chance to think about the information presented and discuss it with your family members, please call and request an application package. When your completed package is received:
a) Your application is given to a designated D.H.H.S. staff person who will assist your family.
b) A criminal background check, a child protective check, and a motor vehicle report will be obtained for all members of your household
c) Reference forms are sent to the 3 references you list on your application.
d) A fire inspection by the State Fire Marshal's Office and a water test (if you are not on a municipal water source) will be requested.
4. Home Study Process: Meetings with a licensing worker or adoption caseworker provide an opportunity to know you, your family, and your family history. Workers may wait until references and criminal background checks have been received before scheduling a home visit.
a) Each parent will be interviewed; couples are interviewed together and separately. The worker will also speak privately to all occupants of the household including children.
b) You should be willing to provide information regarding your physical, emotional, and mental health.
5. Decision: Once the home study and reference checks have been completed, the worker will make recommendations for a foster home license or adoption approval/denial. The supervisor will review and approve/disapprove.
6. Training: Foster/adoptive parents are required to complete introductory training before licensure/approval.
7. If all is in order and recommendations are positive, you will be licensed as a foster family and/or approved as an adoptive family. Now, you are ready for a placement, and D.H.H.S. staff will assist you to find the right child for you to parent.
Keep in mind that the above process seems exhaustive, but it is spread out over time. The average licensure usually takes 6 months, start to finish. Thank you for considering the work of foster parenting in Maine....Maine youth need foster parents to guide them through a difficult time of crisis in thier families.
**NOTE** Licensing or approval does not guarantee a placement of a child.