Foster Care and Adoption Services
At AZ Treasured Family Services, we support foster families and facilitate nurturing environments. We offer services for foster and adoption through the Department of Child Safety. With over 11,500 children in Arizona's foster care system, there is a critical need for caring families.
Our Foster Care Process
Committed to recruiting, training, and supporting our foster families, we welcome individuals and couples of all backgrounds. Our diverse programs and services cater to the unique needs of each family, regardless of race, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, national origin, or disability.
Steps to Foster Care
1. Review of Requirements
2. Attend an Information Session
Engage in discussions about the needs of children in care, fostering or adoption requirements, the licensing/certification process, and the support/resources provided to our families. Explore our training calendar for session details.
3. Complete Orientation through the DCS Website
Initiate your foster family journey with an orientation on the DCS website, obtaining a certificate for attendance as the initial step toward licensing.
4. Background Check, Home Study, Home Inspection & Training
Embark on the foster licensing process, involving a background check, interviews, required training hours, fingerprinting, and home study. The comprehensive process, spanning 90–120 days, begins with an initial home visit to review requirements, paperwork, and training.
Training Process
The Foster Parent College constitutes a comprehensive 5-week training course designed to equip prospective foster/adoptive parents. This program delves into understanding the unique needs of children, introduces parents to the child welfare system, and fosters a mutual understanding between families and the agency. Comprising 11 online courses and 15 hours of in-class instruction, this pre-service training is supplemented by trauma-specific education and medication administration classes. Toward the conclusion of Foster Parent College, interviews with household adults, child interviews, and home inspections are scheduled. For foster families, the Office of Licensing and Regulation (OLR) conducts the home inspection, while adoptive families undergo inspections by foster care specialists. Following the completion of training, Healing Through Relationships, Medication Administration, and necessary paperwork, foster care specialists finalize the home study, a detailed 20-25 page report. Within the subsequent thirty to sixty days, the home study is submitted to OLR for licensing, placing the family on the placement list for potential matches with children in need.
Kinship Support Services
The research emphasizes the stability found in kinship care versus traditional foster care, highlighting the supportive environments created by kinship caregivers. These caregivers maintain vital connections with family and community, nurturing cultural identity and overall well-being. Our services extend assistance to those raising grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, or children under 18 not born to them in Yavapai County, Mohave County, and La Paz County. Our offerings include:
Let's Connect
Your interest in AZ Treasured Family Services is valued. Feel free to contact us with any questions or to express your intent to begin the licensing process.