Have you ever considered being a foster parent? Let us train you at no cost to you! Foster parents are badly needed and can be a fulfilling role as you help put families back together. Foster care is a temporary arrangement for the care of a child(ren) whose family is unable to care for them for various reasons. Foster parents play a vital role in the goal of putting families back together or helping a child find permanence through guardianship or adoption. Training classes are offered in the Spring and Fall each year and run for 11 sessions from 6-9pm once per week. Licensing process takes approx. 5-6 months.

Process to becoming a Foster Parent:

• Call our agency at 252-636-6472 and ask to speak with a Licensing Social Worker or Licensing Supervisor
• An intake form is completed by the worker and you are added to the waitlist for training classes
• Complete state mandated orientation and send certificate to your assigned worker
  • https://ncswlearn.org/presenter/Foster_Parent_Orientation/story.html
• Complete information packet and turn in licensing materials
• Attend all 11 sessions of classes
• Complete needed paperwork
• DSS makes recommendations on licensure to the state. The state has the final say in all approvals or denials. Approval or denial is recommended and if you are approved you are now a foster parent for Craven County Dept. of Social Services

Please note that Craven County Dept. of Social Services does not train adoptive parents only. All foster parents trained through our agency must be willing to foster as children belong in their families of origin. There are circumstances where children may be available for permanency through adoption and Craven County licensed foster families will be assessed first for children in need of an adoptive family.

Can’t commit to being a foster parent, but want to help??

Donate to our Friends of Foster Children Account

Maintained solely by donations from the community, this account allows us to assist foster children financially when no other money is available. In the past, Friends of Foster Children has paid for such things as musical instruments for school, summer camp, birthday presents, graduation gifts for seniors and private therapy sessions not covered by Medicaid. Tax-deductible donations in any amount may be made at any time throughout the year. Make checks payable to Friends of Foster Care and mail to Craven County DSS PO Box 12039, New Bern, NC 28561-2039. Make a note on your check: “Friends of Foster Care.”

Help us by Sponsoring Special Projects

Your business or church group can sponsor a special project for our foster children. Perhaps a special drive to collect such items as school supplies or diapers. Maybe you could sponsor an evening out for our foster parents by hosting free child care for a date night. Our agency also hosts a Resource Family Support Group each month and meals or snacks are always appreciated. If your group is interested in helping out, please contact us to find out what our current needs are.

Choose a child to help with our Christmas Sponsorship

Each foster child is available for sponsorship at Christmas time. Foster children write a wish list of Christmas gifts, and sponsors are asked to purchase the requested items, and return them to Social Services for distribution. We ask that sponsors be prepared to spend at least $150 on gifts per child. A group of people or an organization may together sponsor children.

Donate to our Resource Parent Recruitment & Retention Fund

Foster Parents provide an invaluable service to the foster children of Craven County. Foster families volunteer to provide loving and stable homes for children in need. They receive only a retroactive stipend to cover the child’s basic needs. We are in constant need of more qualified individuals to provide care to our children. We also like to do things for our current families throughout the year as a way of saying “Thank you,” such as our annual Christmas Party and providing a special gift in May, Foster Parent Appreciation month. The money in this account is solely for the purpose of recruiting additional foster families and for retaining current Craven County DSS foster families. Make checks payable to Craven County DSS and mail to Craven County DSS PO Box 12039, New Bern, NC 28561-2039. Make a note on your check: “Foster Parent Recruitment & Retention.”

For more information please do not hesitate to call the licensing team!

Veronica Edwards- 252-636-4900 ext. 3406 Veronica.edwards@cravencountync.gov

Melissa Lester- 252-636-4900 ext. 3404 Melissa.lester@cravencountync.gov

Brittaney Ratzlaff- 252-636-4900 ext. 3400 brittaney.ratzlaff@cravencountync.gov