The need for foster parents continues to grow. On any given day, there are more than 4,000 children and teens in foster care in Nebraska. KVC works to find loving families to care for youth who have experienced abuse, neglect or other serious family challenges until they can safely reunite with their biological family or are adopted by a forever family.

Ready to sign up to become a foster parent? Click here!

The children range in age from birth to 18 years old. The greatest need is for families willing to care for children ages 11 and older. We also have a need for more families to care for sibling groups of two or more children.

First, we recommend that you read all of the information provided in this FAQ and download our free guide, 6 Steps to Becoming a Foster Parent, for details about the process. These resources can help you decide if foster parenting is right for you. Once you’re ready to move forward, please complete this form and our Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator will reach out to you to schedule a meeting and answer any additional questions you have.

You can also take a look at our blog for more information on becoming a foster parent.

Nope. You must be at least 21 years old with a valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation. We are looking for loving, caring adults who want to make a positive impact in a child’s life and provide a safe environment. You can be single, married, any sexual orientation, a homeowner or apartment renter. For homes with one licensed foster parent, a max of four children may reside in the home and no more than two children can be under the age of six. For homes with two licensed foster parents, a max of six children may reside in the home and no more than four children can be under age six. Biological children are included in these ratios.

You must be able to meet basic income guidelines and everyone living in your home must undergo a background check. You will also need to meet all the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services licensing regulations and complete the required foster parent training program. If you are married, both partners must complete training and we encourage anybody else living in the home that plans to have a caregiver role.

Read to get started? Sign up here.

If you have a criminal history or history of child abuse and/or neglect, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will determine if your criminal history allows or prohibits licensure. If you have been convicted of a felony involving abuse and/or neglect of a child, spousal abuse, a crime against a child/children, or a crime of violence you are ineligible to provide foster care. A person who is identified as a perpetrator on the Central Registry or equivalent in any state is ineligible to provide foster care.

If you have been convicted of a felony involving physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense, you are ineligible to provide foster care for five years after the date of conviction. Any other criminal charges, including driving under the influence (DUI) or misdemeanors in the past five years, will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. If you have been convicted of a crime or crimes that do(es) not otherwise result in ineligibility, then the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services will review the facts and circumstances of the conviction(s) to determine whether you are eligible to provide foster care.

Yes. KVC’s Admissions Department will contact you to request placement of a child in your home, and this is an opportunity for you to ask questions and find out more about the child or children. You may say “No” to a placement for any reason.

If a child in foster care is placed in your home, KVC Nebraska will reimburse you. The reimbursement rate varies and is determined on a case-by-case basis. Reimbursement is paid bi-monthly via direct deposit and meant to subsidize for the care of the child. Each child in the custody of the State of Nebraska will be covered under Medicaid or their family’s private insurance. If a foster family works and requires childcare, their childcare might be covered under Title XX.

Click here to sign up for foster parent training.

We require our foster parents to become actively involved in the work that is done to help a child safely reunify with their birth family. This might involve contact with the family during parent-child visitations, case planning meetings, school meetings and events, court hearings, and many other instances if it is in the best interest of the child and foster family. This topic is covered in more detail during foster parent training. It’s also now a requirement that foster parents make phone contact with the biological parent or caregiver within 24 hours of a child being placed in their home to let them know their child is with them and in a safe place (unless otherwise directed by the caseworker).

Each foster parent has an assigned Foster Care Specialist that will assist with day-to-day questions and emergencies. We are available 24/7 by phone to assist with non-medical emergencies.

If there is a medical emergency, call 911 right away.

The immediate goal for each child is to reintegrate them into a safe and stable environment with their caregivers. The child’s placement in foster care depends on the progress their birth parent(s) and/or caregivers makes with the case plan.

Confidentiality laws prevent us from sharing information about the child once they leave your care. If the child moves to another foster home, the case manager decides whether ongoing contact is in the child’s best interest. If the child returns to their caregivers or is adopted, this decision rests with the child’s birth or adoptive parent(s).

KVC offers monthly trainings, provides information about community resources. KVC would not be able to provide all these resources without donations from the community. Continue reading through to the next section of this FAQ for more information on foster parent training.

If you would like to speak to our Foster Parent Recruitment Coordinator to learn more, sign up today.

If you complete all required trainings, application paperwork, and the home study in a timely manner you could potentially receive a license to take placement within 30 to 60 days of your application submission to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Click here to start the process of becoming a foster parent.

The state of Nebraska requires all potential foster homes to complete a pre-service training called Trauma-Informed Partnering for Safety and Permanency – Model Approach for Partnerships in Parenting (TIPS-MAPP). The TIPS-MAPP class meets once a week for 10 weeks. Each session is mandatory for all adults who will have a parenting role in the foster home.

We host six TIPS-MAPP classes per year, and the majority are offered online as a convenient perk, allowing you to participate from home. During the training, our class leaders will also schedule home consultations to complete in-person visits and support you through the process.

Our training classes are FREE and new classes start in Omaha and Lincoln every 4-6 weeks. Sign up today!

You can also take a look at our blog for more information on foster parent training and stories from real KVC foster families.

TIPS-MAPP class helps build skills for parenting abused and neglected children who have behavioral, emotional, physical and/or educational difficulties. It also helps the participant decide if fostering is right for them and KVC determine if you are able to meet a child’s needs.

All TIPS-MAPP classes are mandatory, although we understand that unforeseen circumstances could potentially arise. Your co-leaders will determine the best way for you to make up the information that you missed, which might include having you make up the class during another TIPS-MAPP session.

Before you become eligible for a foster care license, you must complete several required trainings, including Universal Precautions, Verbal De-escalation, Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standards, Healthy Sexual Boundaries, Human Trafficking Prevention, Suicide Prevention and Car Seat Safety.

Once you are a licensed foster parent, you must complete 12 hours of continuing education each year to maintain your license. These hours must be completed before you renew your foster care license annually.

KVC offers numerous free training opportunities throughout the year to make it simple and convenient for foster parents to fulfill these requirements.

It is recommended to wait to take the TIPS MAPP course if you are not prepared to become licensed within one year.

No. KVC cannot guarantee placement of foster children. There are many children of all ages waiting for foster homes. KVC works to match the needs of the children with the skills, abilities, and preferences of the foster family. To read more about this matching process, read our blog “How Foster Families Are Matched with Youth and Why It Matters.”

Click here to start the process of becoming a foster parent.