May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month. There are currently 42 licensed foster family homes in El Dorado County.

Foster parents provide temporary, loving homes for children, ensuring that each child’s physical and emotional needs are met. The foster parent makes sure the child is clothed, fed, taken to school and to medical and counseling appointments, and other needed activities. Foster family homes receive a reimbursement to help pay for the care of the child.

Children of all ages, from newborns to teens, and from all walks of life, enter foster care.

Specific criteria must be met to become a licensed foster home. Foster parents must complete a health screening and criminal background check, must maintain certification in CPR and first aid, and complete a series of trainings. Once they are licensed, foster family homes may take in one or more children, depending upon the home situation and needs of the child or children.

The El Dorado County Foster Family Home Licensing Program licenses families and individual homes. The program also offers trainings, meetings and support services to foster parents as part of a collaborative effort with local colleges and other partnering agencies. According to Goucher, additional caring adults in El Dorado County are needed to consider foster parenting.

People are encouraged to call and ask questions. For more information about the Foster Family Home Licensing Program, call Debra Brown at (530) 642.7122.