A question that I always get: “Why do you always hear that the need for foster parents is great?”

• Do we not open new homes?
• Do we not receive applications?
• Where do existing foster homes go?

These are all great questions, so let’s dive in.

Retirement

The average age of an applying JRI Foster parent is 51 years old. That means they are often empty-nesters who are ready to parent a new group of children. Folks in the upper-middle aged and older adult years are the most likely to apply because:

1. They have more time!
   • With their first children out of the nest, they aren’t running the parenting gauntlet of soccer games, driver’s education classes, and homework anymore.

2. Many are retired or working reduced hours, which allows them to meet the needs of children in foster care.

3. They may be seeking to achieve goals they have put off due to other obligations.

With the average age to begin their foster parent journey being 51 years old, that means that over 50% of our current foster parent population is actually 60+ years old.

If these caring, kind adults hope to enjoy a carefree retirement and travel, have fewer responsibilities, or move to a warmer climate, they will likely close their home in the near future. Foster care agencies have traditionally had to plan for about 50% of the current foster parent population retiring in the next 10 years.

New Homes vs. Experienced Homes

When a person first becomes a licensed foster parent, they are limited to take just one child for the first six months. After the six months are up, the foster parent and our team evaluate if it makes sense to add another child to the home or if one child is their comfort zone. We respect when foster parents limit their homes to one child.

If a retiring foster parent had two or more placements, this means two or more new homes are needed to keep the same number of available foster care placements available.

For example: If Mrs. Washington was a foster parent for two children and retires, we now need two new foster parents, to equal those two placement availabilities. That doesn’t create new foster care availability; it simply maintains the balance.

Homes on Hold

Many homes go “on hold” for a period of time, meaning they choose to temporarily (generally six months) stop fostering. This could be due to a family challenge that has arisen as in an illness; job instability; needs of their biological/adoptive/permanent household children; opportunity to regroup while processing a foster child who left the home successfully.

There is no shame in homes going “on hold,” and it often preserves the longevity of foster parents, but it means if 10% of our homes are not accepting placements, that number of children do not have a home to call their own. Over the years, we see more families choosing to go “on hold” so it is important to have more fostering families available.

Diverse Needs

Every home is not a fit for every child. If we have ten children awaiting foster care placements and we have ten homes that does not mean we have every child matched. We need homes who can support different needs (ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, medical needs, cognitive differences, trauma, Anxiety, language differences, etc.).

We need homes who want to parent different age groups. We need families who will support members of the LGBTQIA+ community whole-heartedly. We need single parents who can support a child who responds well to a single-parent household.

The more diversity our fostering families represent, the more availability we can have to serve the diverse children and youth who make up the foster care universe.

Foster Fit

People become foster parents with good intentions. We know there many negative stories of people who become licensed foster parents with bad intention, but that is very rare. Most people have the intention to support a child, to be there for a child in need, and to provide a safe, supportive home.

Unfortunately, some folks realize (or their agency realizes and helps them understand) that their vision of foster care is not a fit. It could be time; they aren’t available for a child before/after school, on weekends, or for important meetings. It could be their children; sometimes, their own children really struggle with fostering and that makes it impossible to continue. In other cases, the emotional challenges of fostering bring up uncomfortable emotions for people and they do not have the coping skills or supports to navigate it in a healthy way. Therefore, while homes open, homes also close shortly after beginning their foster care journey.

It just wasn’t a fit.

Foster Fails: Full House

Children in foster care most often reunify or return home to their family. The vast majority of children either return to their biological parents or move on to kinship (extended family) placements.

However, there are “foster fails,” which are actually successes we celebrate. Sometimes a child is placed in a home with the goal of reunification, but that goal changes and the foster parent is asked if they would like to adopt the child. In so many cases, we see our foster parents make a forever commitment to a child they have come to love with all their heart.

Adoption is incredible, but in many cases, because of capacity standards, a family is considered “full” and does not have space for an additional child. The family has to close their home to foster care. In 2024, JRI foster parents experienced four successful adoptions.

It is a great reason for our families to close their homes! Still, it means we need to find new doors to open to foster care.

Whatever the reason, foster care agencies are in a constant state of planning for foster homes to close. We are always in need of supportive, affirming, encouraging, safe, loving, diverse homes to meet the ongoing needs of children and youth in foster care. We need people who are ready to support a child through perhaps the most difficult time in their love, and to love families who are striving to regain their footing.

If you are considering becoming a foster parent, know that you are needed. Please complete an Eligibility Form today to begin your journey.