There are nearly 80,000 children in the foster care system in California, many of whom have been abused and/or neglected, and are in need of the stable, loving home environment that resource parents can provide.

These children range in age from newborn to mid-teens and include various ethnic backgrounds including Caucasian, Hispanic, African American, Pacific Islander and mixed races. We will ask you which ages and ethnicity’s you are most comfortable with and Greenhouse Family Services social workers and county placement workers will work as a team to provide the best possible matches between foster families and children.

Serving Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange Counties since 2007, Greenhouse Family Services is a private, non-profit Foster Care Agency licensed by the State of California. Our Master’s level Social Workers have many years of combined experience in child and family services and we take pride in the services we provide to resource parents and the children in their care. Greenhouse Family Services is dedicated to working closely with our foster parents as a team of professionals in caring for children.

We offer a full range of support services to our resource parents, including:

• 24 hour on call service.
• Weekly home visits.
• Initial training completed at our office, free of charge.
• Crisis intervention.
• Education and Treatment Planning.
• Monthly compensation.

We understand that the resource parenting process can be overwhelming. Greenhouse Family Services pledges that our staff will competently assist you from your first call or visit with care, support, courtesy and professionalism.

If you’d like to take the first step or have additional questions, please contact us to schedule an appointment for an orientation meeting.

In compliance with California state regulations, all prospective resource parents must complete our Resource Parent application, training and certification process to become certified Resource Parents. Greenhouse Family Services prides itself in the knowledge, promptness, professionalism and communication of our staff. The following is what you may expect should you pursue foster care with us:

Orientations:

Greenhouse Family Services offers informational orientations with one of our experienced administrative staff for those inquiring about foster care. We will discuss the application process, home study, and explain how we work with you as a team through the certification process and provide an understanding of the children we serve. These meetings are truly focused on your questions and our goal is to provide you with the information necessary for you to make an informed decision about being a resource parent.

These meetings are held at your convenience during normal business hours. Please Contact Us for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Fingerprint and Child Abuse Index Clearances:

After your initial interview with us, this is the first step in the certification process. Criminal clearances are required for all members of your household who are 18 years and over. The State of California utilizes the Live Scan process to complete these requirements. We recommend calling several locations as the fee for this service varies, please contact us for details. Live Scan includes DOJ, FBI and Child Abuse Index clearances.

Resource Parent Application:

We will gladly answer any questions you may have and help you with your application pack, which includes:

• Resource Parent Application
• Resource Parent Questionnaire
• First Aid & CPR Training – Please ask us for referrals.
• Attend Initial Resource Parent Training provided by us free of charge.
• Health Screening and T.B. tests – From all applicants.
• DMV Driving Record Printouts – From all applicants.
• Drivers License copies – From all applicants.
• Criminal Record Statement
• Suspected Child Abuse form.
• Requirement to Report Child Abuse form.
• Emergency Care and Disaster Plan
• Floor Plan of your home.
• Social Security card copies – From all applicants.
• Current Auto Insurance verification.
• Budget Information.

Training:

All resource families are required to complete twelve hours of certification training. Our trainings are held weekly, Monday-Friday. Please inquire if your require evening or weekend training. The format includes lecture presentations, films, group work and self-evaluating home work. There are no fees for the training.

Home Evaluation Check:

The home evaluation check is the first step in the home study process. An agency Social Worker will visit and review a list of State required safety items and precautions with you. All requirements do not have to be fulfilled on the first visit, however they must be completed prior to certification of your home.

Home Study:

This is the final part of the certification process. A Social Worker will review questionnaires you filled out from the application packet and conduct an interview. The Home Study document will be written by your Social Worker after interviews are complete.

The Home Study will describe your family dynamics and communication style; openness to change, family stability; family history; exploration of marriage and/or relationship history; lifestyle; expectations of children’s needs and development, motivation in undertaking parenting; former parenting experience and understanding of the commitment and meaning of the foster care process.

Application Timeline: If you are prompt in submitting the required documentation required in the application, completion of the application process, including the Home Study and training, takes an average of 6 weeks.

Qualifications for Parents:

The following is a list of minimum basic requirements to become a resource parent:

• Be over the age of 21.
• Pass a Criminal Background Check.
• Have a regular source of income to support your own monthly expenses.
• Have at least one available bedroom.
• Have a car, valid car insurance & a clean DMV report.
• Have some flexibility in your schedule to accommodate the foster children’s court ordered visits, therapy, medical appointments, etc.
• Your home must pass a state required Home Safety Check.
• You must supervise foster children, including teens, when they are not in school or in supervised activities.
• You may be single or married.
• You may own or rent your home or apartment.

Of primary importance in the selection criteria are the following:

• Desire and capacity to parent a child not born to you
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Willingness to seek help
• Openness to self-exploration and change
• Commitment and stability

Families are assessed in terms of their desire to parent and their likelihood to be able to tolerate the change, intrusion, and disruption that will follow the placement of a child. Key assessment factors are the degree of attention which children require, as well as what foster parents are able to give; and the realistic versus the unrealistic expectations of foster parenting. Social support systems are evaluated and informal systems of support are assessed.

Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to keep accurate records and provide mandatory documentation on a timely basis.
• Ability to provide physical and emotional care.
• Ability to recognize and meet individual needs.
• Experience of some kind with child care or supervision.
• Ability to accept a child into your home as well as let them go.
• Ability to understand and show acceptance of children’s parents, commitment to promoting the reunification of families and permanency for children.
• Willingness to work as a professional.
• Adequate physical and mental health as certified by a physician.
• Ability to provide the minimum of a bed and private space for belongings for each child.
• An adequate income for support of your own family.

The Home Study is a written biography of your family. It describes your family dynamics and communication style; openness to change, family stability; family history; exploration of marriage and/or relationship history; lifestyle; expectations of children’s needs and development, motivation in undertaking parenting & former parenting experience.

The Home Evaluation Check is the first step in the Home Study process. An agency Social Worker will visit and review a list of State required safety items and precautions with you. All requirements do not have to be fulfilled on the first visit, however they must be completed prior to certification of your home.

Greenhouse Family Services will conduct the Home Study process in a way that will allow the prospective resource parents to go through a phase of self-discovery and self-study rather than an investigative process on the part of the agency. A Social Worker will review questionnaires you filled out from the application packet and conduct interviews individually and as a couple if applicable. The actual Home Study document will be written by a Social Worker after interviews are complete.

When a County Social Worker calls us with a potential placement, one of our Social Workers will contact you to discuss the placement and disclose any information that has been obtained on the foster child(ren). The choice of whether to accept the placement or not is entirely up to you.

When we contact you, we will provide as much information as we have regarding the following:

• Reasons why the child was removed and current assessment.
• Medical history of the foster child.
• Visitations with biological family members.
• Counseling or other services the child is receiving.
• School grade and any educational issues.
• Any behavioral problems or other concerns.
• Parental history of the biological father and mother.
• Other information that has been provided regarding the child and/or biological family.

If the decision is made to move forward, a pre-placement visit may be arranged or the placement may be immediate.

Goal:

To provide nurturing care to abused and neglected children until they are able to be reunified with their natural family.

Responsibilities to the Child:

• To provide a safe and comfortable family environment for the child.
• To provide for the child’s basic physical and emotional needs as you would for your own child.
• To ensure that the child attends school; monitor educational progress; be aware of special needs; express appreciation for accomplishments.
• To provide appropriate clothing.
• To attend to medical and dental needs including regular checkups as well as attending to other special needs of the child – i.e. educational, therapeutic, etc.
• To help and guide children through the grieving and adjustment process that accompanies the removal from their families.
• To help maintain a realistic relationship with their families through participation with visitation and active consideration of the children’s feelings. To assist children in preparing to return home or being moved to a permanent adoptive home.
• To provide recreational, enriching activities that will promote the healthy development of children.
• To maintain a record of their time in care, developmental milestones, photographs, report cards, etc.
• To provide consistent and realistic discipline and guidance that is age appropriate and does not involve corporal punishment of any kind.

Responsibilities to the Agency:

• To keep the agency informed of the progress and/or problems of foster children including immediate notification if they run away or of any other serious incident involving the foster child.
• To keep the agency informed of changes in your home including a change of address and phone number, deaths or departures of immediate family members, additions to the family, notification of impending vacations, etc.
• To be available for meetings with agency workers.
• To attend 9 hours of foster parent training per year provided by the agency.
• Be part of a case review when asked or make a court appearance when needed.
• Give the agency 15 business days notice when requesting removal of a child.
• To cooperate with county and Greenhouse Family Services social workers to implement a Needs & Service Plan for the care of the children in order to promote reunification with their families – or to promote the process of adoption if reunification is not possible.
• To comply with state regulations and agency policies and procedures as outlined in the resource parent manual.

Responsibilities to the Birth Parents:

• To cooperate with visitation; to provide transportation for the child or if visitation is in your home, making the parent feel comfortable and allowing time with the child.
• To help the child maintain a realistic perception and attitude towards his/her own parents.
• To provide necessary and appropriate information about child’s growth and development such as likes, dislikes, behaviors, feelings, etc. to the parent.
• To prepare the child to return home.

To the Resource Parents family:

• To discuss foster care openly with all members of the family, to allow participation in the decision to accept a particular child.
• To strive to maintain usual lifestyle and relationships while providing foster care, including private time with own family members.
• To help all members understand the impact taking in a foster child may have on family routine, etc.
• To prepare all members for the arrival of foster children, including discussion of the foster child’s special needs.
• To prepare for and support all members of the family as they cope with the departure of a foster child.

On The Job Supervision:

• The resource parent works in conjunction with the child’s caseworker and will receive supervision and support from them in relation to the specific child. In addition the social worker is available to the foster parent to answer questions, straighten out problems, keep them informed of changes that might affect them, and provide general support.

Juvenile Court Dependency, involving protection of minors through removal from parental custody and adjudication of Court Dependency, is prescribed by Welfare and Institutions Code, Section 300.

Basic reasons minors may become Dependents are:

• Minors suffering, or having substantial risk of suffering, serious physical harm inflicted non-accidentally by parent/guardian.
• Minors suffering serious physical harm or illness, due to failure of parent to adequately supervise/protect minor, or negligent failure of parent to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment, or inability of parent to provide regular care due to parents’ mental illness, developmental disability, or substance abuse.
• Minors suffering serious emotional damage (severe anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior toward self/others) as result of conduct of parent.
• Minors suffering sexual abuse by parent, or parent fails to protect minor from sexual abuse.
• Minor left without support as result of parents’ incarceration/institutionalization, or parent unwilling to provide care.

Protection of minor shall focus on the preservation of the family whenever possible. Further, nothing in Section 300 is intended to limit the offering of voluntary services to those families in need of assistance but who do not come within the descriptions.

Whenever a minor is removed from parents’ custody, the Juvenile Court shall order provision of services, through Child Welfare, to facilitate reunification of the family. If reunification is not possible, the Juvenile Court shall order an appropriate stable plan for the minor’s care, including adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care.

Outline of Juvenile Dependency Process Removal of Minor from caretaker:

• Protective Custody: 72 hour hold placed by law enforcement, removing minor from condition of risk.
• Criminal citation and/or arrest of caretaker may occur.
• Medical evaluation of all minors under age of two, and/or minors requiring medical intervention.
• Minor placed at Children’s Receiving Home or Emergency Foster Care.

Investigation by Dependent Intake Unit

• In first 48 hours (of 72 hour hold) the allegations of risk are investigated.
• Based on investigation, case resolution is determined:
  1.Case dismissed; minors returned to caretaker.
  2.Case dismissed, minor returned to caretaker with specified, contracted services to family.
  3.Petition for Dependency filed on behalf of minor.
• Intake Report generated to document basis of case dismissal and/or referral of services, or to justify legal evidence of Dependency Petition.

Process of Petitioning Dependency

A. Detention Hearing: Held at end of 72 hours; based on Intake Report, Judge rules regarding evidence for continued detention of minor; minor is either released or detained, pending Jurisdictional Hearing.
B. If minor detained: Court investigation begun; Court report generated addressing family history/dynamics, continued risk to minor, recommendations for placement, and reunification plan.
C. Jurisdictional Hearing: Held not longer than 15 judicial days following Detention Hearing; based on Court report, Judge rules regarding evidence for Dependency; minor is either released or adjudicated a Dependent.
D. If minor adjudicated a Dependent: Disposition Hearing is held immediately following Jurisdictional hearing; based on court report, Judge rules regarding placement of minor and specific court orders for reunification.