3 Things You Need to Know About Becoming a Foster Parent

We have partnered with Lilyfield Christian Adoption and Foster Care to bring you this post! However, all opinions are my own.

Are you looking for a way that you could change a child’s life forever? Or a way that you can protect and love a child that is scared and might have been through things you can’t imagine? Have you ever wanted to help out a family that has hit a hard time and the parents need some help? If this is you and you are wanting to help change lives in ways you’ve never imagined, then fostering could be right for you!

But where do you to start? Let me introduce you to Lilyfield. Lilyfield is a Christian Foster and Adoption Agency serving OKC and Tulsa. I absolutely love volunteering and serving with Lilyfield. For the past five years I have helped plan Lilyfield’s annual Legacy of Love Benefit Banquet in the fall. My husband and I are also alternative care givers for foster families through Lilyfield. Adoption and fostering is something that is really close to my heart. I have multiple siblings who are adopted along with having different kids live with us for periods of time growing up.

What I love about Lilyfield is that the staff is made up of some of the best people I know. They truly care about the children and families that they are serving – every day they strive to serve the most vulnerable children in Oklahoma. They also want their foster families to be taken care of and feel supported. They do this by offering a counseling center that serves foster and adoptive parents, in addition to many other ways. From receiving a genuine smile and greeting when you walk into their office, to getting phone calls and emails with questions returned promptly, they make the process of fostering and adopting less overwhelming. 

So if you ever thought about fostering but had questions, here are some common ones with answers that can help you out!

  1. Who should be a foster family?
    • Almost anyone! If you have a love for children, then think about fostering! Lilyfield views fostering as its ministry. It’s not only about serving the children but also their biological families and the OKDHS caseworkers who are working with the biological families. If you have a love to serve people and make an ever lasting impact, you can foster! 
  2. How do I become a foster family?
    • First, contact Lilyfield and let them know you are interested! Lilyfield guides each family through the whole process to become certified to foster. They train their foster parents through classes taught by certified trainers. They perform home studies and provide foster home supervision. 
    • Much of Lilyfield training is with Trust Based Relational Intervention and Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. They ensure that their foster families are equipped with resources they need to help children who are hurting to find healing. 
  3. What happens after I am certified foster family?
    • Lilyfield works closely with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services to help place children in need with foster families. They work to ensure that it is a good fit for the individual family’s circumstances.
    • After a child has been placed with a family, Lilyfield provides meals for the first couple of days. There will be a weekly phone call with a Lilyfield caseworker and monthly in-home visitations. They also provide some additional funding and support for items needed for foster children in the foster home, they take Medicaid insurance. Lilyfield has ongoing education and training for foster families along with monthly support groups and therapeutic services through the Care Connect Program. 

Hopefully after you’ve read this your interest in becoming a foster family has been piqued. You could totally do it! If you would like more information about becoming a foster family or are interested in volunteering (like helping to plan the benefit dinner!), please feel free to get in touch with Lilyfield. Fostering can truly make a difference to a child and their life forever and you can be the one to make that lasting impact!

GET IN TOUCH WITH LILYFIELD

501 E. 15th St., Suite 400A Edmond, Oklahoma 73013

(405) 216-5240

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amandabodine
I grew up in Tennessee, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri but came to Oklahoma Christian University (OC) for college. That's where I met my husband, and we decided to stay in OKC. Oklahoma City now feels like home. We have a 16 month old daughter who keeps me on my toes. I got my bachelors's degree from OC in Biochemistry and my masters as a Physician Assistant from the University of Oklahoma. I have worked in a rural ER and in a county jail as their medical provider but now mainly work for an Urgent Care in Oklahoma City. I love traveling, working out and anything DIY, especially transforming junk furniture into something great. I am also a contributor for the blog Splendry - a collection of all things splendid (www.splendry.com) where a lot of my furniture DIY projects are shown.

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