Foster Care
Make a Difference in a Child’s Life

Because many foster children have experienced a lack of consistency with the adults in their family, they are usually unable to trust adults and people in general and have difficulty forming attachments. This creates a real challenge for foster parents. Foster parents must often provide love, acceptance, and patience for a long period of time before a foster child feels a sense of belonging and is comfortable living with the foster family.
See Our Foster Families Thrive
Watch and listen to foster care parents and social workers as they share their experiences in the Wood County child care system. They explain what it’s like to foster a child and why foster care parents are so important.
What is a Foster Parent?
A Foster Parent is:
- One who provides a nurturing family environment for a child in need of temporary care while in the custody of Wood County Department of Job and Family Services
- In good physical and mental health
- Emotionally mature and stable
- Willing to work cooperatively with the agency and others to plan for the best interests of a child
- Actively support and promote reunification
- One who has general knowledge of children’s developmental stages and needs
- Able to recognize and respond to differences in children’s individual needs and personalities
- At least 21 years of age
- Legally married for at least one year or Single
- Self-supporting
- Able to cope constructively with stress, crisis, and special child rearing problems
- Willing to receive at least 40 hours of required continuing education related to foster care
How Long are Children in a Foster Home?
What Types of Families are Needed?
How Can I Become a Foster Parent?
- Completing application for child placement
- Providing three unrelated references
- Social worker conducting several interviews with the foster parent applicant(s) and any child over the age of four living in the home
- Local fire marshal conducting a fire inspection of the home
- Wood County Health Department conducting a well water inspection, if applicable
- Completing a background check through the Bureau of Criminal Investigations
- Family physician completing a medical report on each member of the household
- Completing a financial information form
- Participating in Foster Parent Pre-service Training
Are you Ready to Become a Foster Parent?
For more information, call the Wood County Department of Job and Family Services at 419-354-9669 and ask to talk to the Placement Specialist. The specialist will be happy to answer any questions you have and/or send you additional information about the foster parent program.
Speakers are also available upon request to discuss the foster parent program and related issues.
BRIANNE GILLIS
Foster Care Licensing Specialist
Phone: 419-728-0205
Brianne.Gillis@jfs.ohio.gov
SHELBY SMITH, ICPC
Foster/Adoption/APS Specialized Unit Supervisor
419-373-6956
Shelby.Smith@jfs.ohio.gov