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Montgomery County Maryland
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Department of Health and Human Services

 Foster Parenting in Montgomery County  Visita Nuestro Web Site En Espanol


What is foster parenting?

Foster parents are people who choose to become the substitute families for children in need. Foster parenting is both a responsibility and an opportunity. It is one of the highest forms of community service.  Foster children require more than "custodial" care. Foster parents provide food, clothing, and shelter, plus the love, stability, guidance, and discipline these children need until they are reunited with their families or are adopted.  Foster parents give children their best efforts even though the child is with them only temporarily. 

Who are the children in need of foster parents? 

Each year over one hundred children in Montgomery County are temporarily separated from their parents. These children come from a cross section of the community: from a variety of social and economic backgrounds, from every race, religion, and nationality. Their ages range from infancy to young adulthood. They may come from homes where there has been family breakdown. All have been physically, emotionally, or sexually abused and/or severely neglected. 

There is a special need for families who can: 

  • Accept adolescents while helping them to develop the skills to become independent. 
  • Provide the care required by children with serious handicaps. 
  • Provide a home for more than one child, as every effort is made not to separate children from their siblings. 
  • Provide care for infants and preschoolers. 
  • Provide care for minority, ethnic, and non-English speaking children.

      Yes, I want to learn more about becoming a foster parent!

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    • Last edited: 3/12/2008