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1. Who are the Children in DSS custody?

• Children enter foster care due to a number of issues related to abuse, neglect or dependency. 
• Many children in foster care have special needs, including health issues, behavioral issues, special educational needs, and mental health diagnoses.
• Dependent children are those children without an appropriate adult caretaker. 

DSS has the responsibility to work with birth parents and other extended relatives to address safety issues so that children can return home. 

• Although each family's situation is different and a Judge makes the final ruling, the Department of Social Services is required to make a recommendation about a child's long-term plan within one year of the child entering foster care. 
• The Department also makes diligent efforts to identify extended relatives who could care for the child. When that cannot be done, the agency pursues other long-term plans for the child, including adoption.

2. Who are the Foster and Adoptive Resource Families in DSS?

• New Hanover County foster and adoptive parents are your friends, neighbors, and fellow community citizens. Most families who adopt through DSS provide foster care first.
• We find that by the time a child goes through the process of becoming available for adoption, he/she has bonded with the foster parents and many times it is this foster family who adopts the child. There are times when it isn't the right match for the current foster parent to adopt the child and in those cases we look to our other families interested in adoption to make a connection. Our families come from all different backgrounds and live in all communities across the county.
• We have many single parents as well as couples who adopt. 
• Many children who are adopted from foster care qualify for ongoing adoption assistance benefits.
•  For children who are adopted in their teens there is even help for college available.
•  Probably the greatest challenge of adoption from foster care is that it is unknown at the time a child is placed in a home whether the child will later need an adoptive family. 
• The Department's first responsibility is to work with the birth family to alleviate the need for continued foster care and recommend reunification. We don't know what the outcome will be at the time of placement, so our foster families have to be prepared to let go of a child they've grown to love.
• If a foster parent does adopt a child from foster care, the Department helps the foster parent navigate the adoption process. The Department also provides fee services including: preplacement assessments for independent adoptions, and stepparent and relative adoption services for children who are not in the Department's custody.

3. Does Social Services provide financial assistance to foster families?

The Department does provide monthly assistance to help offset the costs of caring for a child in custody. Foster families use these funds to pay for food, clothing, school supplies, field trips, haircuts and other expenses associated with providing a child a safe and enriching home environment. The amount of assistance varies depending on the age of the child.

In addition to monthly assistance, the Department is involved with several programs which provide funding for children to participate in special activities.

4. How do I become a foster parent?

Call us at 910-798-3500 to talk to a foster parent licensing social worker.

5. Is there a need for foster families in New Hanover County?

Yes!

We have more children in foster care than we have homes available to care for them.

6. What happens when a child cannot be placed with a family in New Hanover County?

When a home in New Hanover County is not available, the child must be placed in another county. What that means is a child who has already experienced the trauma of abuse or neglect and then separation from his or her family, must also separate from his/her neighborhood, school, friends, doctors and community. The further a child is from his/her family, the more difficult it is to arrange visits and keep the family connected. We find that even when children have experienced abuse or neglect, most still very much love their family and want to visit parents and siblings.

Of the approximately 300 children in out of home placement, 23% reside with relatives, 38% reside in New Hanover County and 39% reside outside of New Hanover County.

7. What happens when children cannot return to their birth family?

The Department of Social Services has the responsibility to reunite families whenever it is safe to do so. The Department usually works with birth parents toward getting their children back for about a year before pursuing other permanent placement options for the child.

There are times when children cannot return to their parents because of on-going safety issues and there are no other appropriate extended family members to care for the child.

The Department’s first responsibility is to attempt to safely return a child to his/her parents or other family members. If the Department is unable to identify a safe and willing caretaker within the family, we turn to our foster parents to provide a permanent home for the child.

8. What is Foster Care?

Foster families provide a temporary home for children, who for a variety of reasons including abuse, neglect or dependency cannot remain in the home of their parents or guardian and have entered Department of Social Services (DSS) custody.

Relatives who are providing a home for a child in DSS custody can become licensed as foster parents for that child - provided they meet all of the licensing rules- however, most of the time foster parents are people from the community willing to open their heart and home to a child they do not know.

Although designed to be temporary, there are times when a child is unable to return to his or her birth family and foster parents may adopt the children they've grown to love. 

See our FAQs on Adoption from Foster Care for more information.

9. Who takes Care of the Children in Foster Care?

Just like each child in foster care is unique so is each foster family. Foster families, including relatives who chose to license as foster parents, must complete an in-depth licensing process which includes:

• A 30 hour pre-service training course. Families also complete 10 hours of in-service training each year after becoming licensed.
• Multiple background checks
• A home study, including assessment of space, health, and characteristics of all family members and safety conditions of the home.
• Although there is no minimum income, the family must be able to meet their financial obligations.

The list is not all inclusive of foster home licensing requirements. Please contact us to learn more about becoming a foster parent. Call us at 910-798-3566 or email the New Hanover Foster Care.

10. Will the birth parent know the foster parents?

Yes. Department of Social Services supports a philosophy called "Shared Parenting" where foster and birth families work together for the support of a child. Some examples of Shared parenting would be foster and birth parents attending school meetings together, participating in agency meetings and exchanging photographs so that the child feels connected with all the adults in his/her life. Foster parents can be good mentors for birth parents as well. Potential foster parents learn about shared parenting at length during the pre-service training class (MAPP- Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting).

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1. What information can be released from an adoption file?

Adoption files in North Carolina are not open to the public. Only non-identifying information and any health history that might be available can be shared with an adoptee.

2. What is the process for adopting a child?

The first step in adopting a child is to contact your local Department of Social Services. In New Hanover County, call 910-798-3475 to set up an appointment. A social worker will meet with you to discuss your goals and desires, and will direct you toward the next step in the adoption process

3. Who can apply to become a foster parent?

Anyone who is 21 years or older, has a safe home, source of income, and has patience and love for children can apply to become a foster parent. They should contact their local Department of Social Services. In New Hanover County, call 910-798-3566 regarding the application and training process.