A new foster parent resource has launched as part of a foster parent awareness campaign to recruit loving foster homes in Metroplex East, a nine-county region in North Texas including Dallas, Collin, Ellis, Fannin, Grayson, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall. 

There are currently over 2,000 children in foster care within the Metroplex East region and a shortage of foster homes. To fulfill the need of finding more loving homes for children, EMPOWER is launching the Empower Dreams, Foster Futures awareness campaign to inform the Metroplex East community about the life-changing impact to children by becoming a foster parent. The newly developed online toolkit of information for prospective foster parents has been created to help those interested find support and the best placement agency tailored to their unique needs.

Finding the right support and tools when embarking on the journey to become a licensed foster parent is paramount. This user-friendly, intuitive platform is tailored to help navigate the process with ease and precision. Families and individuals can find foster home providers based on proximity to location, specialties and categories, and counties served. 

Due to instability and other factors, children in foster care face higher rates of poverty, incarceration, and mental health issues. Loving foster families play a huge role in making a difference in the lives of these children. Foster parents often provide a safe and nurturing base for children during a short time while agencies are advocating for and with their biological families, with the end goal of children reuniting with their family or primary caregiver. 

“All children deserve a loving home to experience stability, whether it is for a short time or an extended period,” says Dr. Linda Garcia, Senior Vice President of EMPOWER. “There is a great need for more foster parents in North Texas to provide safe and stable environments for children in our communities. We hope that those that are able will consider becoming a licensed foster parent. We see the difference these families make in the lives and futures of children every day.”

EMPOWER is a nonprofit child welfare collaborative and the Community-Based Care contractor for the Metroplex East region in North Texas. EMPOWER provides foster care case management, kinship and reunifications services for all children and families in the region.

The Metroplex East region’s new foster parent online resource features different agencies and organizations to help families walk through the process of becoming a foster parent, support them through each placement and provide training services to help foster families improve and learn new parenting techniques. The process to become a licensed foster parent is broken into three main steps, each with supportive materials, including:

• Step One - Finding the right foster care provider agency. 

• Step Two - Walking through the process of becoming a foster parent with the chosen agency and receiving support with the required documents, training, home studies, background checks, and references. 

• Step Three - After becoming a licensed foster parent, the next step is to receive a first placement where case workers will be available to help at all times. Foster families will also continue to complete foster parent training hours each year they are licensed to help them improve and learn new parenting skills. 

“Though it surely has challenges, it’s important to remember healing is not linear,” says Kayla and Joseph Liz, licensed foster parents with CK Family Services’ Treatment Foster Care Program. “With every challenge overcome brings a greater reward. It’s been very fulfilling having the opportunity to change someone’s life around for the better.”

Foster care journeys are a life changing experience for both the foster families and the children. Deciding to become a foster parent is the first step in making a lasting impact on the lives of children. 

There are many local children in foster care in need of a safe, loving place to call home. To learn more about becoming a foster parent and other ways individuals and families can help these children in need, please visit 3empower.org/fosterfutures.