Question:  What if my partner or spouse has a criminal record?

Answer:  If the spouse has a criminal record with felonies they will be unable to do foster care. Misdemeanors are examined on a case by case basis.

Question: Do I have to work with all ages? 

Answer: No, foster parents, the Family Outreach worker, and Placement Supervisor will determine what ages are best served by the prospective family.

Question: What is your greatest need?

Answer: Ages 0-3, 9-18, sibling groups and high need populations such as medically fragile, adolescents, teen moms, sex offenders, and developmentally delayed.

Question: What kind of support is available from Maple Star for families doing this work?

Answer: A Maple Star worker is available to provide monitoring and consultation services to foster parents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Another important support available to Maple Star foster parents is the monthly support group meeting which gives emotional support, guidance, training, and information.

Question: What type of youth are likely to be referred to Maple Star for placement in family care homes?

Answer: Many youth are placed in foster care because of abuse and neglect. The children and youth will be between the ages of birth and 18 years of age. Some children were abandoned by their parents due to substance abuse or imprisonment. The reasons for entry into foster care vary. The need for foster care is greater than ever due to challenges placed upon biological families by the economy.

Question: What are the main steps involved in becoming certified with Maple Start as a foster parent?

Answer: Among the steps in becoming certified, according to state licensing rules, are the following:

• Complete a Maple Star application to become a foster parent;  
• Complete a fingerprint based criminal record check for each adult who lives in the home and is 18 years or older;  
• Complete a child abuse registry check with the state;  
• The Maple Star staff member will meet with family members and inspect the home using a home health and safety checklist;
• To be certified with Maple Star, each prospective foster parent must complete an orientation program, involving 27 hours of in-class work. The primary purpose of the orientation is to ensure that new foster parents have complete information about the agency, its philosophy, policies, and staff.  By attending orientation meetings with other prospective foster parents, all people have an opportunity to get to know each other, learning from their respective strengths and interests.
• On the basis of reviewing the application forms, the interviews done with family members, the home inspection using the home health and safety checklist, police and child abuse registry check and interviews with the references, the Maple Star staff will discuss with the family the feasibility of becoming certified as a Maple Star foster parent. Just as with the decision to place a youth in a home, this is a joint decision made by both the prospective foster parents and Maple Star staff.

Who can foster:

• A heart for children in need
• A love of family life and parenting
• A desire to provide a safe and healing home
• A commitment to children
• Flexibility and willingness to work through challenges
• Must be 21 years of age