Foster Care/Kinship Care
Becoming a Foster Parent
You can make a difference for a child and their family by becoming a licensed foster parent in Rock County. There is a need for foster parents to care for children of all ages. We especially need foster parents who can care for sibling groups and teen males and females.
To find out more about foster parent licensing regulations and/or to express an interest in fostering, please contact Jennifer Wilson at 608-757-5476.
Independent Living
Rock County Human Services has services that are intended to help the older teenage foster youth become better prepared to live independently. There is a requirement that each foster youth age 14 and older must be assessed to determine whether he/she has the skills and knowledge needed to live independently after leaving foster care.
Foster parents are expected to assist the youth in developing some of the skills, such as doing the laundry, money management, meal preparation, and responsible decision making. The ILP Coordinator will complete an assessment with the youth and foster parents and offer ideas and services to supplement those skills being learned in the care provider's home or facility.
For more information, contact the Independent Living Coordinator:
Mary Dempsy
Substitute Care Specialist
Rock County Human Services Department
3530 N. Cty. Trk. Hwy. F
P.O. Box 1649
Janesville, WI 53547-1649
Phone 608-758-8434
[email protected]
Out of State Medical Assistance
Foster parents sometimes take their foster children out of Wisconsin, whether they are going shopping in Rockford for a day, or traveling farther on vacation. If you do take a foster child out-of-state, what should you do if the child requires medical care while in another state?
Under Wisconsin's Medical Assistance program, each doctor (medical provider) is assigned a "provider number". This is a very big system, and they have to have some way of keeping track of things.
Most of the providers are in Wisconsin and already have their provider number; but providers in other states probably will not have a Wisconsin provider number. You need to take along a form that the out-of-state medical provider would have to fill out so they could be assigned a provider number. Then, when they have their provider number, our Wisconsin Medical Assistance system can pay them.
It's a good idea to keep a few of these forms in your glove compartment or suitcase.
Respite
What is respite care?
Respite care is a method of providing respite (a break) for licensed foster parents. Respite care providers temporarily care for the foster child, and are licensed foster homes.
Who does respite care, and how does a foster parent get respite?
Respite is provided by other licensed Rock County foster homes. The foster parents contact Patricia Stilen at (608) 757-5243, and she will assist the foster parents in obtaining respite services. Rock County will do its best to meet all respite requests, but requests need to be made at least 14 days in advance for respite to be assured. Foster parents need to provide the following information: the child's name, age, sex, and any specific information that would be necessary for another home to care for the foster child successfully.
Foster parents need to inform the child's caseworker when utilizing respite services. Foster parents pay for their own respite, with the exception of emergency respite.
What forms need to be completed?
Foster parents using respite must complete a Respite Information Form for each foster child receiving respite. The completed form along with any special items that the child needs are then provided to the respite parent. As much notice as possible is helpful when requesting respite.
How much respite are foster parents eligible for?
Regular respite can be requested at any time and is paid for by the requesting foster parents.
Emergency respite can be provided allowing a foster family to attend a funeral, or if a household member is hospitalized. Emergency respite cannot exceed 2 weeks per incident.
Training
Foster Parent Training
Visit WI DCF Foster Care Training Website
There is a Substitute Care Resource Library with a number of books and videotapes that foster parents can borrow. Foster parents then complete the applicable form, and turn the form in to their assigned Substitute Care Specialist for review.
You will receive training credit that is calculated as follows:
It is also possible for foster parents to receive training credit if they attend a Class/Workshop and then complete one of our class/workshop reports. Turn the report into your assigned Substitute Care Specialist.
Current Training Opportunities - No training currently scheduled.