Foster Care and Adoption Services

At AZ Treasured Family Services, we support foster families and facilitate nurturing environments. We offer foster care and adoption services through the Department of Child Safety. Arizona has a critical need for caring families like you.

AZ Treasured Family Services

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.

 

Comprometidos a reclutar, capacitar y apoyar a nuestras familias de acogida, damos la bienvenida a personas y parejas de todos los orígenes. Nuestros diversos programas y servicios atienden las necesidades únicas de cada familia, independientemente de su raza, religión, género, estado civil, orientación sexual, identidad de género, expresión, origen nacional o discapacidad.

Steps to Foster Care

1.  Review of Requirements

  • Minimum age: 21 years * Edad mínima: 21 años
  • Marital status: Married or single * Estado civil: casado o soltero
  • Financial stability * Estabilidad financiera
  • Emotional readiness for parenting * Preparación emocional para la crianza de los hijos
  • Good physical health * buena salud fisica
  • Clear of serious DCS or criminal background * Libre de DCS grave o antecedentes penales
  • Flexible schedule to meet children's needs * Horario flexible para satisfacer las necesidades de los niños
  • Able to provide transportation * Capaz de proporcionar transporte
  • Willingness to consider sibling groups * Voluntad de considerar grupos de hermanos
  • Availability for emergency placements * Disponibilidad para colocaciones de emergencia
  • Commitment to reunification with biological family * Compromiso de reunificación con la familia biológica

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:

  • Information and resource referrals
  • Advanced education in kinship care
  • Aid in completing guardianship packets for school registration and medical services
  • Legal resource information
  • Support for families aspiring to become guardians or adoptive parents through the juvenile court
  • Support groups
  • Assistance in completing benefit applications such as TANF, AHCCCS, and Kids Care
  • Advocacy for caregivers and children across schools, court systems, health care, mental health agencies, benefits programs, DCS, etc.

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.