Become a Foster-to-Adopt Family
In Pennsylvania, approximately 2,500 children who are in the foster care system are seeking permanency with a family. There is a real and urgent need for foster-to-adopt families who are called to provide loving homes for children with no placements available to them.
Criteria to Become a Foster-to-Adopt Parent
- Be at least 21 years of age.
- If two people are presenting as parental figures in the home, they must be married to each other for at least two years.
- If an applicant is divorced, widowed, or legally separated, a minimum of two years must have passed prior to applying.
- Be able to provide transportation for foster children to appointments and visits.
- Practice positive parenting skills and pledge not to use corporal punishment.
- Be able to meet the physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs of foster children.
- Be willing to establish positive relationships with foster children’s birth parents.
- Be willing to communicate openly with COBYS staff on all matters impacting a foster child’s well-being.
- Live within one-hour driving distance to COBYS’ Murry Hill Center in Lancaster County.
COBYS' Process to Become a Foster-to-Adopt Parent
Request an Inquiry Packet to learn more about foster care and/or adoption.
Attend a virtual Information Session for potential foster families.
Submit an application including personal references and financial information.
Complete an intensive Pre-Service Training class.
Have all household members complete medical appraisals.
Obtain criminal background checks (including State Police, ChildLine, and FBI clearances), references, and other documents to ensure the safety of children in the home.
Complete family history paperwork and interviews, and follow through on any recommendations.
Pass a home safety inspection.
Specify preferences for age, gender, race, and behavioral, emotional, and/or medical needs of children you are able to care for.
What Is an Information Session?
The COBYS Information Session is a virtual meeting with our Resource Home Unit staff. It presents an overview of the foster care and adoption experience as well as the roles, expectations, and approval process for foster and foster-to-adopt families at COBYS. It also gives you a chance to ask questions.
As this session is designed to help families decide if the ministry of foster care or adoption is a good fit for them, married couples should attend together. Children are not permitted to attend due to the sensitive nature of some content, and childcare is not provided. Following the Information Session, attendees are eligible to submit the application form to pursue becoming a foster family.
What Is Pre-Service Training?
Pre-Service Training is the training process for families to be approved as a foster or foster-to-adopt family. It includes classroom instruction, activities, and interviews with COBYS foster families.
Upon COBYS’ receipt of a Foster/Foster to Adopt Parent Application, families are eligible to attend Pre-Service Training, which is offered at our Murry Hill Center. Once an application is completed, a resource home specialist will contact you to schedule the training. Our training room is accessed by steps. Please notify us if this is a challenge for you so we can make accommodations.
Pre-Service Training addresses the following topics:
Laws, regulations, and procedures of foster care and adoption
Expectations and motivations of resource families
Attachment, trauma, and discipline during Introduction to Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI)
Impact of foster care and adoption on the resource family
Abuse and neglect
Grief and loss
Childhood mental health
Diversity
Birth families
Reasonable and Prudent Parenting Standards
Supporting resident children
CPR / first aid
Become a Foster-to-Adopt Family
If you’d like to learn about becoming a foster-to-adopt family with COBYS, request more information or sign up for a free Information Session.
