Become a Foster Parent | Forestdale is looking for special people to provide temporary homes, guidance and love to young people who cannot safely remain with their parents. Your role is to provide children and teens with the emotional support they need to heal and thrive. At the same time, you work with Forestdale to help birth parents make progress towards rebuilding their families. In most cases, foster children reunite with their birth parents; when it is not safe to do so, Forestdale will facilitate the adoption process.

As a foster parent, you will provide what all loving parents do: food, shelter, clothing, stability, discipline and a caring home environment. Foster parents serve as champions for the children in their care, helping them gain self-esteem, achieve in school, and acquire the life skills they need to lead fulfilling lives.

If you love and understand children, you’ve already met many of our qualifications. You can become a foster parent whether you are a single or married adult. You must, however, be at least 21 years old and have your own income, whether from a job, public assistance, a pension or social security. Citizenship is not required. Relatives of children in foster care can become kinship foster parents, and the same requirements apply to them.

If you would like to learn more about become a foster parent at Forestdale, you are invited to fill out an information questionnaire here, email fosterparentrecruitment@forestdaleinc.org, or contact the Family Services Department today at 718-263-0740 and ask for Glyn Girard.

Some Frequently Asked Questions that prospective foster or adoptive parents have are:

Who can become a Foster/Adoptive Parent?

• Foster/Adoptive Resource Parents must be at least 21 years of age and in good health.
• They can be single, married, widowed, divorced or legally separated and can have other children living at home.

Do I need a lot of money?

• Finances are considered only as they pertain to a family’s ability to provide stability to a child.
• Foster/Adoptive Parents receive a monthly stipend and numerous support services from the agency, including training for the foster and birth families and counseling for the child.
• Adoption subsidies and post-adoptive services are also available to persons who adopt children with special needs.

Do I need to own my own home?

• Both homeowners and renters qualify.

What kind of children need Foster/Adoptive Families?

• All kinds of children of all ages need Foster/Adoptive Homes.
• The children most urgently in need are brother and sister groups, adolescents, teen mothers and their children.
• Foster and adoptive Parents from all ethnic groups are needed.
• There are no religious requirements.

What do I have to do to become a Foster/Adoptive Parent?

• The first step is to call our Homefinding Department at 718.263.0740.
• You will be invited to an orientation meeting where you will learn more about becoming a foster or adoptive parent.
• You will be asked to file an application, enroll in a specialized training program, “Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting” (MAPP), make yourselves available for interviews and home visits, and produce some documentation such as birth and marriage certificates, references and medical exams.
• A New York State Central Registry Clearance for Child Abuse and a Criminal Record check are also completed.

How long does it take to become a Foster/Adoptive Parent?

• The MAPP training is 30 hours spread out over a ten week time period.
• The entire evaluation process, including MAPP, takes about 3-4 months.

What else can I do to help?

• You can become a mentor to a teen in foster care.
• Male and female mentors are needed to be a good listener and spend time with teens.
• Contact the Youth Development Coordinator at 718.263.0740.

Does Forestdale respect the privacy rights of its clients?

• Yes. Forestdale makes every effort to protect the privacy rights of its clients in compliance with all City, State, and Federal regulations. Please review Forestdale’s HIPPA statement (Notice of Privacy Practices). Also, please review our website’s privacy policy.

Volunteer | Today, as never before, individuals, who want to give back, are finding creative ways to offer their time, talent and dedication to their community. Forestdale is proud to profile one of our community volunteers:

When I volunteer to reach out and help a neighbor, I feel that I am beginning an adventure. The good that is accomplished would make any American proud.
- Local Volunteer honored by President Obama in April 2009

In addition to caring foster families, we need volunteers to mentor youth and young parents; provide job opportunities and training in the community; and organize drives for children’s clothing, infant furnishings and supplies and prom dresses for our graduating high school seniors.
In-Kind Donations such as gently-used car seats, cribs and children’s furnishings are very much needed.

To find out more about how you can help, please contact:

Lindsey McCormack, Development Associate
718-263-0740 x236
lmccormack@forestdaleinc.org

Donate to our Programs | Did you know that 91 cents of every dollar donated to Forestdale goes towards direct program costs, including tutoring, college tours, foster parent recruitment and job training?

If you would like to receive acknowledgment of your contribution by E-mail instead of standard mail, be sure to notify Lindsey McCormack at the e-mail address listed above. You may also send a check or money order to:

Office of Community Development
Forestdale, Inc.
67-35 112 St.
Forest Hills, NY 11375