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Teachers Can Foster

by Jill RippyMay 9, 20182 min read

By Jill Rippy

Yes, it’s true.  Do you know that teachers are the next best home if a child can’t be placed with relatives?  Teachers can take foster children into their homes as a kinship placement. And, it does not have to be the child’s classroom teacher.  If a teacher or an employee in your school has a relationship with the child who was taken into foster care, they can be considered for a kinship placement. Principals, teachers, aides, custodians, cafeteria specialists…if they have a relationship with that child, they can request to be a resource home.

Further, they are entitled to some benefits. For example, in the state of Indiana, relative and kinship families can receive:

-$300 bed and bedding allowance

-$200 clothing allowance

-respite when you need a break

-$50 holiday and $50 birthday allowance

-6 months free childcare

-child receives full medical, vision and dental coverage

-child has a $300 personal allowance per year

Also, the child can be placed with you as a kinship placement first then you can become a licensed foster parent to then receive funds to care for the child.

Spread the word…Educate our schools!

If you are looking to become a licensed foster parent in the state of Indiana, reach out. Send me an email at thefosterlife@yahoo.com with your name, address and phone number. I will connect you with someone in your state who can help you get started. (I do nothing with your personal info other than connect you with someone who can help you.)

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103 comments

    • In our experience, teachers are not kinship placements in Michigan. We are in the process of adopting one of my students and we had to be fully licensed before we could get a placement date. However, we were able to start visits with her in her current placement before being fully licensed.

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      • That’s definitely not accurate, so I would advise people to go to a supervisor next time. Somebody did not tell you correctly.

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    • Yes, it’s every state. You can be a kinship to any child that comes into fostercare if you’ve had a previous relationship with them. Even if you know the parents and not the child. It’s called a non-relative kinship. Hope that helps

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      • Not necessarily. It depends on the state too. I took in a student who went to my school but we as legally a resident of a neighboring state. I did not get any support though.

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  • I had a student in my class put into foster care last night. How can i find more information about this?

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  • Teachers are counted as Kinship placements in all states. I don’t know if the benefits and their amounts are the same for each state.

    To find out more information, go to https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/kinship/ and https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/outofhome/kinship/resourcesforcaregivers/ .

    Find a way to contact the child’s case worker and/or family and tell them that you would like to be counted as a resource and would like to foster the child.

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  • I am interested in talking with you! My husband is a teacher and we just began the process of seeking our foster license.

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  • I’ve only recently been made aware of the concept of Kinship placements. I have a fellow teacher in Indiana who’s doing it as well as a social worker friend in Michigan…

    I live in Kentucky, but we hope to move back to Indiana in 2 years.

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  • I attempted to take students home who were being removed by DCS and was told I couldn’t without a license. Then I took the 16 classes to get it!!!!!! This was a while ago, so maybe law has changed since then.

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  • I would love to learn more about this. My wife and I both teach and have BEEN approached about fostering kids twice now. It’s just so confusing we don’t know where to start.

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  • Yes, it’s every state. You can be a kinship to any child that comes into fostercare if you’ve had a previous relationship with them. Even if you know the parents and not the child. It’s called a non-relative kinship. Hope that helps

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  • Any iDea if there is anything like this in Oklahoma? Where do i look? We have had my cousins little girl for the past year with no help and only medical through her fathers medicaid. No one has mentoned any help and have gone silent whenever we ask.

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  • I know missouri has this option for kinship placemeNt too! Ive been asked once to take on a student and had No idea i coUld until that moment! Relationships with our kiddos are so important!

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  • I echo what others have said…I wish I’d known this sooner and do you know if this exists in other states? I am in Arizona, work at a very low s.e.s. school, and many of my students are in foster care.

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  • Unpopular opinion, does anyone else see a conflict of interest here? This article basically states if you work at a school and know a foster kid you can take them in and get paid. Teachers are mandatory reporters with the power to file a report, get a kid into foster care and through encouragement of this article get kids placed with them and collect a paycheck.

    Lately, foster care is getting dangerously close to Government sponsored human trafficking. Wish I could say I’m being paranoid, I’d balk at it myself if I hadn’t witnessed it.

    I know you all want to help and I’m sure you have good hearts with the best of intentions, but stay wary that your eagerness is tied to the destruction of a family.

    Sorry if this comes through in all caps, I think it might be my browser. Take care, everyone.

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    • I have three young girls that have been in the system in Tampa, Fl for almost a year. Being placed with someone thEy know greaTly lessons the trauma these kids face. The countY i live in removes mOre kids than any county in the Entire country. Their profit last year was $165M. They treat thEse cHildren like tagged cattle. Obeying their rules, visitation times, etc Has Become a full time job for Me and my huSband.
      Your mention of the foster parents making money for opening their home to a familiar face is valid but look at the figuRes, they are, by no means, making a pfofiT. We still provide everything our girls need bc, well, they are our childrEn.
      I think this is a wonDeRful program considering teachers, counsEls, etc are often the Only consIstency these children havE.

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  • That is actually a new perspective I had not considered when I was sharing this. I have been contacted by a few people who feel that foster adoption is basically legal kidnapping. That is definitely a deep and wide topic. Thank you for sharing and for sharing it in such a kind manner. It definitely gives us something to think about. Please know that when I shared this, the intention was to help lessen the trauma for children by being placed with someone they already have a connection to. I was the teacher who had no idea I could take this little boy who is clinging to me home with me. Teachers have some of the most beautiful hearts I’ve ever seen. Teachers truly love their students and if they can lessen the trauma for them, many will. And I’m simply trying to spread awareness.

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  • My husband and i were foster parents in GA. I am a teacher and as dfcs about a student being placed in foster Case. My husband and i had go go thRough 12 weeks of training to becOme Foster Parents. Unless the State has chaNged Ga Isn’t part of the program.

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  • Two young ladies who have become a very important part of our lives started out in foster care this way. One of their teachers noticed that they had not come back to school after a break and went to check on them. It was clear to DHS that their home was not safe. The teacher and her husband took them in and became foster parents for what they believed would be a short time. When it became clear that their mother was not going to be able to overcome her ADDICTIONS, a longer term solution was sought. This resulted in these amazing young women coming to live with my wife and I. The oldest is starting college next month and our intention is for our home to be the place she considers home for a very long time. The youngest is a senior and will be a part of our family for as long as she wants as well. Being in the teachers home allowed them to stay in our small town where the have been heavily involved in church and EXTRACURRICULAR activities. We are in Oklahoma.

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  • I am a retired missori teacher although I still substitute teach as well as supervise student teachers. Would I be able to participate in this foster program?

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  • I’m a TEACHER in missouri and THIS IS TRUE FOR US. WE TOOK IN A BOY FROM MY SON’s cLASS THIS YEAR UNDER A KINSHIP RELATIONSHIP. WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR LICENSE WHILE WE HAD HIM. WE ARE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF ADOPTING HIM NOW TOO. IT’s preTTY PAINLESS SO FAR AS FAR AS THE LICENSING GOES.

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  • Im a teacher in NJ and I’ve had situations in the past that I wish I’d known about this sooner. Would over more information. Thank you.

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  • One of my current fosters is one a teacher had. She thought since she knew them in school they would be no trouble. Teachers need to be aware that school is a familiar place for a child. They WILL NOT be the same child in your home. Sadly the teacher thought it would be easy (her words) as she knew the child. Now I have her. Im a Foster Parent. Im sure this is not going to happen in all cases. We def do not hAVE ENOUGH FOSTER FAMILIES, BUT TEACHERS ALSO HAVE TO TAKE THE CLASSES TO GET CERTIFIED. THE CONCEPT OF TEACHERS BEING THE “NEXT BEST THING” IF THEY CANT BE PLACED WITH A RELATIVE IS A BIT OUT THERE. yES, THE CHILD WILL KNOW THEM, BUT LIKE I SAID THAT DOES NOT ALWAYS HELP. ESPECIALLY SINCE THE RELATIONSHIP HAS BEEN TEACHER/STUDENT. A CHILD PLACED IN FOSTER CARE WILL NORMALLY HAVE SOME SORT OF TRAUMA OR DEPRESSION OR MANY OTHER ISSUES. hERE IN ny, WE DO NOT HAVE ALL THOSE STIPENDS AS LISTED ABOVE. FOSTER PARENTING IS NOT SOMETHING YOU WILL MAKE MONEY DOING. IT PAYS VERY LITTLE. hELPING A CHILD IN NEED IS THE BEST REWARD.

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  • I would love to know more about THIS. One of my students is going though a rough time and if I can I would love to care for him.

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  • Not in every state, unfortunately – in NM I tried to get one of my students placed with me, and had to go through the whole training first. By the time it was done, he was back home (but I did go on to be a foster parent for others for many years – and at one point had the younger sister of a previous student!)

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  • I am in Arkansas aNd am a teacher. I just too 2 chilDren int my home last week on the new next of kin law, Now how do i get some help?

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    • I do not have personal connections in your state, but if you start at adoptuskids.org, they can help you get started. There’s information there about fostering as well as adoption.

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  • Hello, i am a teacher in texas and am wondering if this program applies here too. Thank you for your time.

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    • I do not have personal connections in your state, but if you start at adoptuskids.org, they can help you get started. There’s information there about fostering as well as adoption.

      Reply

  • I called CPS and asked aBout this in wisconsin and was told it would take 9 months for me to get approved. I am assuming each state must have different requirements.

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    • This is because of the high workload’s and overstaffing of DCS. You need to call a private foster care agency. Your best bet is to start at adoptuskids.org. I wish I had contacts in your state, but I do not. Don’t give up.

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  • My husband and I would love to sign up. I am a teacher and teach/live in north Alabama . Please advise us on our next steps…

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    • Thank you so much for reaching out. I don’t have personal connections in your state, but you can start with the website adoptuskids.org. There is information there about foster care as well as adoption. Best of luck!

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    • I have connections in many states, but not yours. You can start by reaching out through adoptuskids.org and they can help you get started. There’s lots of information in there about fostering and adoption.

      Reply

Further reading

Those Crappy Case Workers

January 30, 2015

Being a foster parent for a number of years now, I have run into the good, the bad and the ugly regarding DCS Case Workers. My complaints have been...

You Should Just Stop Fostering

March 6, 2015

Many years ago I sat on the deck of a beach house with my step-brother.  We were enjoying an adult beverage, watching the sunset and catching up. ...

I Foster For the Money

February 19, 2015

If you want to evoke the passion of a quality foster parent, please spew the phrase, “Foster parents are only in it for the money.” This short...

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