RiversideCounty
Department of Public Social Services
1-800-665-KIDS (5437)
Foster/Adoption
Resource Family Program
Orientation Packet
Welcome Future Foster/Adoptive Resource Family!
Thank you for taking an interest in caring for a child.
We invite you to become a member of the Riverside County Resource Family Program. Enclosed you will find information needed to answer questions most commonly asked by potential foster/adoptive caregivers.
You have already taken the most important stepbycontacting us. The next step is to attend an orientation conducted jointly by the State of California Community Care Licensing (CCL) and Riverside County Department of Public Social Services.
RiversideOrientations are held each monthfrom 9:00am until approximately 2:00pm. Please make sure you arrive on time as doors will close promptly at 9:00 am.
Desert RegionOrientations are held from 1:00pm until approximately 4:00pm. Please make sure you arrive on time as doors will close promptly at 1:00 pm.
You will need to bring pictureidentification. This meeting is a CaliforniaStaterequirement. This meeting provides an opportunity to ask questions, and you will be able to speak directly to Riverside County Children’s Services staff and state analyst. Child care will not be provided.Unfortunately, anyone arriving late or with children under 18 will be asked to reschedule their orientation session.
Orientations are generally held intwo locations,
Riverside and Indio:
Riverside Location: Desert Location:
Riverside DPSS Office IndioCPS Office
11070 Magnolia Ave(Training Room) 48113 Jackson Street
Riverside, CA92505Indio, CA 92201
1-800-665-KIDS
All application materials will be available at the time of Orientation only.
Riverside Orientation dates
11070 Magnolia Ave,(Training Room)
Riverside, CA92505
1-800-665-KIDS
Riverside Orientation dates
The RiversideDPSS Office is located off the 91 freeway and
La Sierra Aveexit
From Moreno Valley communities: Take the 91 West, exit La Sierra and turn right, Turn Right on Magnolia, the DPSS office will be on the right
From Corona communities: Take the 91 East toward Riverside, exit La Sierra and turn left,
Turn Right on Magnolia, the RiversideDPSS office will be on the right
*As of 2014 Riverside orientations will be held from 9am-2pm
on the following FRIDAY’S of the month.
*Friday, January 24, 2014 English only,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, February, 21, 2014 English and Spanish, Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, March 28, 2014 English only,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, April 25, 2014 English only,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, May 30, 2014 English & Spanish,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, June 27, 2014 English only,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, July 25, 2014 English only, Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, August 22, 2014 English & Spanish,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, September 26, 2014 English only, Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, October 24, 2014 English only, Riverside DPSS Office
Friday, November 14, 2014 English only, Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, November 21, 2014 Spanish only,Riverside DPSS Office
*Friday, December 12, 2014 English only, Riverside DPSS Office
DESERT ORIENTATION DATES
As of 2014 Desert orientations will be held in Indio
(IndioCPS Office, 48113 Jackson Street, CA92201)
1-800-665-KIDS
IndioCPSDirections from the 10 Freeway:
Take the I-10 East toward Indio; ExitJackson street, Make Right on Jackson
*Orientations are held from 1 pm – 4 pm on the designated days
*Friday, January10, 2014, English only, Indio CPS Office
*Friday, March 7, 2014,Spanish only,Indio CPS Office
*Friday, May2, 2014, English only,Indio CPS Office
*Friday, July 11, 2014, English only, Indio CPS Office
*Friday, September 12, 2014, Spanishonly, Indio CPS Office
*Friday, October 10, 2014, Englishonly, Indio CPS Office
*Friday, November 14, 2014, English only, Indio CPS Office
*Friday, December 5, 2014, Spanishonly, Indio CPS Office
These Desert Orientations are only for those families that reside in Blythe, Indio, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Coachella, Cathedral City, Bermuda Dunes, La Quinta, Mecca, Thermal, Salton City, Desert Hot Springs, Thousand Palms, Indian Wells, Indio Hills, Mountain Center, Anza and other Coachella Valley areas.
Revised 1/6/14
STATE FOSTER CARE LICENSING & COUNTY PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS
- Attend orientation – unless you are single, both parents must attend.
- Complete Community Care Licensing (CCL) and County applications and send into each agency.
- After your application to Community Care Licensing has been accepted, you will be contacted to arrange a LIVE SCAN. All adults living in the home will need to complete thiscriminal clearance check. It is no longer a requirement that people who would just be doing occasional babysitting be fingerprinted (prudent parent).
- Prepare your home for a PRE-LICENSING visit (refer to the checklist on the following page).
- Obtain a health screening clearance/TB test and complete an Infant and Child CPR/First Aid certification training course.
- After your application is received by Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, you will be contacted to:
- schedule an initial interview
- participate in our mandatory caregiver training classes
- have a home study evaluationcompleted.
IMPORTANT:
In order to have foster children in your home, the following must
be completed:
criminal record clearances
child abuse clearances
home study evaluations
all training requirements
FOSTER HOME LICENSING INSPECTION CHECKLIST
Please take the time to review this checklist to ensure that your home is in compliance with our Title 22 regulations priorto your pre-licensing inspection.
KITCHEN-Sections 89323(a); 89373; 89387(n); 89387(o); 89387.2(a)(1); 89387.2(b)(1); 89387.2(b)(2)
____Telephone shall be accessible at all times and post emergency numbers in a prominent location
____Faucets used by a child shall deliver hot water at a safe temperature (recommended 105-120 degrees)
____Trash cans storing solid waste require tight fitting lids
____Storage areas for Poisons, Firearms, and other dangerous weapons shall be locked
____Kitchen knives shall be made inaccessible to a child who is not of sufficient age and maturity
____Medications requiring refrigeration shall be made inaccessible (depending on age of child)
____Cover foods and proper storage of foods
LIVING ROOM/DINING ROOM/DEN-Section89387(k); 89387(l)
____Ensure the safety of a child in homes that have fireplaces, open-face heaters or woodstoves
____Maintain a safe and comfortable temperature at all times (recommended 68-85 degrees)
BATHROOM AREAS- Section 89387.2(b)(2); 89387.2(b)(3)
____ Prescription and non-prescription medications shall be stored where inaccessible
____ Disinfectants and cleaning solutions shall be stored where inaccessible
____ Mirrors and glass doors in good repair (no broken glass)
BEDROOMS- Section 89387(a)(1); 89387(a)(5); 89387(a)(7); 89387(a)(8); 89387(a)(9); 89387(a)(10); 89387(m)
____ No more than two children per bedroom and one child per bed
____ No bedroom shall be used as a public or general passageway to another room
____ Comfortable mattress, linens, blankets, and pillows are clean and all in good repair
____ Bunk beds shall have railings on both sides of the upper tier (children under age 6 not allowed on top bunk)
____ Provide each infant with a safe and sturdy bassinet or crib and car seat
____ Portable or permanent closet and drawer space to accommodate the child’s clothing and personal belongings__
____ Provide lighting as necessary in all rooms of the home to ensure comfort and safety
HALLWAYS- Section 89387(c); 89387(p)
____ All outdoor and indoor passageway, stairways, inclines, ramps, and open porches shall be free of obstruction
____ Functioning smoke detector installed in hallway(s) in sleeping area shall be audible in each bedroom
OUTDOOR AREAS- Section 89387(a)(6); 89387(d); 89387(h)
____ Window and window screens are in good repair
____ Bodies of water (i.e. pools, spas, hot tubs) are made inaccessible to a child under age 10
____ Yard or outdoor activity space shall be free from hazards that endanger the health and safety of a child
MISC- Sections 89387(a)(6); 89387.2(a)(3); 89475(b);89387(b)
____ Security window bars shall have a safety release device
____ Ammunition shall be stored and locked separately from firearms
____ Maintain first aid supplies appropriate to the needs of a child
____ Carpet, floors, and walls are clean at all times
HOME SHALL BE CLEAN, SAFE, SANITARY & IN GOOD REPAIR AT ALL TIMES
Become a Foster/Adoptive Parent
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
How do I become a foster/adoptive parent?
Your home must be licensed by Community Care Licensing (CCL), a division of the California State Department of Social Services. After you apply, a licensing worker from CCL will visit your home. State law mandates certain personal safety requirements. This worker will evaluate the living environment as part of the licensing process. You will also be visited by a county social worker to meet you and your family members to determine the most appropriate type of foster child/children to be placed in your home.
What’s next?
Foster parents work closely with social workers to determine the type of foster child most appropriate for their home. Thirty three hours of pre-service training is required, covering several topics such as how to discipline in a positive way and how to help foster children express emotions related to separation from their families. A social worker will visit periodically and support services are available when problems arise.
Who pays the foster child’s expenses?
Foster parents receive financial assistance to help in purchasing food, clothing, and materials and to meet the other basic needs of foster children. Medical, dental and mental health services coverage for children is provided through Medi-Cal and Inland Empire Health Plan.
How long will I have the foster child?
Foster placements last anywhere from a few weeks to several years depending on the circumstances of the child’s birth parents and the reunification process. It is also possible to adopt or become the legal guardian of a child who cannot return home safely.
Howold are foster children?
Foster homes are needed for children of all ages from infants and toddlers to teens up to the age of 18 and older. The children are better able to succeed when siblings of various ages are placed together in homes.
Is there an age limit for foster parents?
As long as you are healthy, energetic, and demonstrate the appropriate desire to be a foster parent, there is no age limit. Many foster parents are retired.
Do foster parents have to be married?
Foster parents can be married, single or in a domestic partner relationship, regardless of their sexual orientation. The most important thing is to provide a loving and stable environment for children.
Will I have to give up my job?
No, but you must make appropriate childcare arrangements.
Why You Should Consider Becoming a
Foster or Adoptive Family
Ten Reasons
- You are good with kids.
- Your commitment will help change a child’s future.
- Patience and a sense of humor are two of your greatest strengths.
- You believe that children should maintain their cultural ties.
- Reaching out to others seems natural to you.
- You can enrich a child’s life with your unique family heritage.
- You know how important it is to be part of a family.
- You are ready to accept the challenge of parenting.
- You believe that kids need to stay in their neighborhood so
that they can remain in their schools and keep ongoing friendships.
- Your community needs you to step forward and here is why:
In RiversideCounty, there are on average 5,000 children who because of abuse or neglect have been removed from their parents. These children need consistency and commitment. You can help make a critical difference in the lives of these children by becoming part of a team that includes social service staff and other community partners working together. Your rewards will be immeasurable and your community will benefit from children nurtured in a caring, safe and stable environment.
RIVERSIDE COUNTYSTAFF
CONTACT INFORMATION
______
If you have any questions about fostering or adopting in RiversideCounty, please call us. Our primary goal is to provide any assistance possible to ease the process of becoming a licensed resource parent. We look forward to working with you.
RiversideCounty
Toll Free Number
1-800-665-KIDS (5437)
Se Habla Español
(951) 358-3641
Riverside County
Resource Training and Assessment Unit
11070 Magnolia Avenue, Suite # B
Riverside, CA 92505 Fax: (951) 358-6160
La Tonya Smith (951) 358-5789, (951) 892-0875 Cell
Email:
STATE
Community Care Licensing (CCL)
3737 Main Street, Suite 600
Riverside, CA 92501
(951) 782-4207
Angela Psalms (951) 897-9155
Email:
Judy Almaraz (951) 897-8129
Email: Se Habla Español
Notes:
______1-800-665-KIDS (5437)
11070 Magnolia Ave. Ste. B
Riverside, CA 92505