Treatment Foster Care: Become a Foster Parent
Links: About Treatment Foster Care | Become a Treatment Foster Parent

Do you have: Concern for Special Needs Children? Strong Communication Skills? Patience? St. Aemilian-Lakeside needs you -- families, couples or individuals -- to provide full- or part-time care to children with emotional and behavioral needs.

If you think you have the gifts to become a Treatment Foster Parent, please call:

• In Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties: (414) 463-1880, ext. 200
• In Manitowoc and Sheboygan Counties: (920) 452-9706
• In Racine County: (262) 638-6574

Or download a Treatment Foster Parent Application.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- Who can apply to be a Treatment Foster Parent?
- What are the initial qualifications for becoming a TFC parent?
- What if I don't meet the initial qualifications?
- What services are provided to foster parents through the TFC program?
- What is the licensing process?

Who can apply to be a Treatment Foster Parent?
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Treatment foster parents should be nurturing adults with strong listening skills, patience, and a concern for children with special needs. Treatment foster parents may be married or single and may be employed outside the home.

 

What are the initial qualifications for becoming a TFC parent?
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The following requirements must be met in addition to the requirements of
s. HFS 56.04 and HFS 38.05 Licensee Qualifications.

• Applicants to become treatment foster parents must be at least 21 years old and have proof of legal U.S. residency.
• Applicants who have a home-based daycare or a job that requires second shift work hours may not qualify for the Treatment Foster Care program. (Second shift workers may qualify for a respite license.)
• In addition, a person or persons licensed to operate a treatment foster home must possess at least TWO of the following:
  
  -- A minimum of one year of experience as a licensed foster parent, understood as having been a licensed foster parent who had a child placed in his or her home for at least one year.
  -- A minimum of five years of experience working with or parenting children.
  -- A minimum of 500 hours of experience as a respite care provider for children under the supervision of a human services agency.
  -- A high school diploma or the equivalent.
  

What if I don't meet the initial qualifications?
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Contact a St. Aemilian-Lakeside Licensing Specialist at (414) 463-1880, ext. 200 to find out how you can qualify or when you can reapply.

What are the services provided to foster parents through the TFC program?
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• Monthly Foster Parent Support Group meetings
• Ongoing training programs
• 24-hour emergency assistance
• Respite services
• Financial compensation
• Title 19 health insurance for foster children

What is the licensing process?
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1. Initial data sheet is completed by the prospective foster parent applicant(s) and returned to St. Aemilian-Lakeside, with proof of legal U.S. residency, such as a copy of birth certificate or copy of driver's license and social security card.

2. Data sheet will be reviewed to ensure that basic requirements from HFS 38, Treatment Foster Care For Children, have been met.

3. Treatment Foster Care Licensing Specialist will call the prospective foster parent(s) and schedule a meeting at St. Aemilian-Lakeside to discuss the TFC Program and to answer any questions that may arise.

4. At the agency meeting, the foster parent applicant(s) will:
a. sign release forms for background checks (city police, DHSS, previous foster home, other adults in the home, general release if needed)
b. receive the following forms:
i. Floor Plan Instructions
ii. Social History Form
iii. Background Information Disclosure Form
iv. Financial Statement
v. stamped return envelope

5. Foster parent applicant(s) will complete licensing forms and return them to St. Aemilian-Lakeside

6. Background checks will be completed by the Licensing Specialist:
a. DOTI (drivers license check)
b. City police check
c. County Department of Human and Social Services check
d. Four references
e. Statewide Caregiver Background Check
f. Previous Foster Home Licensing Check (if applicable)
g. Nursing Assistant Check (if applicable)
h. Out of State Background Check (if applicable)

Other adults in the home will also be required to have background checks completed. If there is a history of sexual abuse, the applicant will automatically be denied. Per the State Caregiver Background Check law, if there is any criminal record, those findings will be discussed during the home study and copies of police and court records will be required to determine if the findings substantially relate to the care of children. If a conviction is one that is barred by the Caregiver Background Check law, the application will also be denied. If an application is denied, the applicant has the right to appeal the decision. The State of Wisconsin may require a license to be issued; however, St. Aemilian-Lakeside has the sole right to determine if a child will be placed in the home.

7. When all of the background checks are returned, the foster parent applicant(s) will be registered for the required Pre-Service Training classes. The Treatment Foster Care Pre-Service Training consists of 12 classes, which total 36 hours of pre-service training. Attendance at all training sessions by each foster parent applicant is required by the State and by St. Aemilian-Lakeside in order to obtain a Treatment Foster Care or Respite Care license.

8. Initial home visit is conducted. The Licensing Specialist will come to your home and spend time with you, your spouse, and other members of your family. One purpose of this home visit is to ensure that your home meets fire and safety codes. Another purpose of this home visit is to distribute:
a. AAPI questionnaire
b. Medical Forms, including TB test, for all household members
c. Homeowners/Rental Insurance Form
d. Vehicle Insurance Form
e. Tolerance Worksheet

The Licensing Specialist will also revue and have the applicant sign the following:
a. Home and Fire Inspection Forms
b. License Application
c. Woodburning Form (if applicable)
d. Pet Vaccination Form (if applicable)
e. Request for Exception Form (if applicable)

9. At the next home visits, the Licensing Specialist will finish gathering needed information. Another purpose for these home visits is for you to share information on your background, your family, and your life. After all home visits are completed (approximately 3-4 home visits), the Licensing Specialist will write a Foster Family Assessment (FFA). The FFA is a "home study report" which will include all the above information.

10. After all of the paperwork is completed, all background checks performed, the pre-service training is completed by each applicant, and the home study is written, the file will be read by a supervisor and the license can by signed. At this point, after the license has been signed, the TFC program can begin looking for a match of a child.

**Note: Due to the need for a careful matching of foster parents and foster children, a Treatment Foster Care license does not guarantee a placement of a child.

**Note: The foster care application process is not complete until the applicant completes all phases of foster care licensing. At any time during the application/licensing process, St. Aemilian-Lakeside may deny an applicant if an individual does not meet foster care licensing qualifications set by the State of Wisconsin or the Agency. In addition, at any point in the licensing process, a foster parent applicant may withdraw his/her application.

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