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Kingsburg, CA 93631
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How to Foster & Adopt

"As foster parents we are asked to not only care for the basic needs of a child, but also sit along side them as they digest the hurt and damage they have undeservedly experienced"

-Carrie Dahlin

Fostering

Resource parents are special people who are asked to assume the direct care of a foster child. This can be a challenging and rewarding task which involves the foster child, his/her natural parents, the foster family, Golden State Family Service’s staff and the placing agency. There are numerous demands on resource parents and they are expected to give a child the physical and emotional care that only a family can provide. This requires developing an awareness of and sensitivity to the background of the child and the trauma they have experienced. Each child reacts to placement in a unique way, which requires flexibility on the part of the resource parent.

To be an effective foster parent, you will need to be open to new ideas and approaches to parenting. You are probably already trained and/or experienced in child care as a parent yourself. With the agency, you will be trained to work with the special needs of foster children. The agency social worker is a good resource to utilize in connecting you to available services. Initial and continuing training with the agency is a vital part of our program and all resource parents are expected to participate. Golden State Family Services believes strongly in working together as a team and ensuring we are meeting the needs of each child while being supportive of the needs of our foster families.
Apply Here

Becoming A Resource Parent

Each resource parent will need to complete the items listed below along with a S.A.F.E. (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) Home Study. The process takes an average of three months for completion and you will work directly with one of our Social Workers, who will guide you through the process.

  • Resource Family Application Packet
  • Background Clearances (DOJ, FBI, CACI)
  • CPR/ First Aid
  • Orientation 1
  • Trauma Informed Care Training
  • Orientation 2
  • Medication Training
  • SIDS/Safe Sleep Training (Required when working with children 0-4 years)
  • Other Accreditation & Specialized Training's
  • We also offer Spanish bi-lingual services.

Please contact us for further information on becoming a resource parent today. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to change young lives.

Adoption

"Parenthood. Parenthood requires love, not DNA."

Golden State Family Services is a full-service adoption agency licensed by the State of California Department of Social Services Agency Adoptions Program to provide adoption services and work cooperatively in the following counties: Alameda, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Fresno, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Monterey, Sacramento, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Stanislaus, Tulare, Tuolumne, and Ventura Counties. We can assist with adoption of children from the foster care system and also do domestic private infant adoption.


We are able to assist prospective adoptive parents in helping them move through the adoptive process faster by completing the required S.A.F.E. (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) Home Study. Our primary goal is to find permanency for the many children waiting in the foster care program.


A primary barrier for many families who are considering adoption is the cost. With that in mind, GSFS charges no fees to adoptive applicants wishing to adopt a foster child. Further many of the children in the foster care system qualify for the Adoption Assistance Program which removes the financial disincentives for families to adopt by providing a federally funded monthly subsidy.


We have experienced adoption staff who all possess a Master’s in Social Work and are trained by the Consortium for Children in Structured Analysis Family Evaluation©. We also offer Spanish bi-lingual services.


Please contact us for further information on becoming an adoptive parent today. We look forward to hearing from you and your family and potentially becoming a forever family for a child!

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