Step I: Complete the inquiry form
Step II: The Recruitment Specialist will contact you via phone, email or text to get additional information about what your specific interests are and how we may be able to assist you.
Step III: We will schedule a formal Informational meeting through Zoom which will explain any additional questions or concerns you have regarding the foster care process.
Step IV: The Recruiter Specialist will schedule an initial home visit that is convenient for you to meet you and your family and to conduct an initial walk through of the home. During the home visit you will be provided with a home study booklet that will contain all the required paperwork and forms needed to open the home as well as documents that we need for the home study report. All the forms will be fully explained to you.
Step V: The State of Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) requires that all perspective foster parents must complete TN KEY training. The training consists of four, three-hour modules, and classes offered through zoom with the Recruiter Specialist. These classes are scheduled once a week based on the foster parents’ schedule and are usually held in the evenings. There are two additional classes, CPR/First Aid that is conducted in the home with the Recruiter Specialist. The other class is a medication class that is conducted by DCS via Zoom. This class must be scheduled with DCS, and we can assist with the registration.
Step VI: A home study will be written that will cover the history of your life from childhood to adulthood. This report provides insight on various aspects of your life and is also used for placement and adoption. We have a designated home study writer who will schedule a home visit to interview you as well as others in the home when completing the home study. We require that you provide us an autobiography, and we will provide a series of pertinent questions that will be used in the writing of the home study.
Step VII: Approval process: After the training, background checks and home study have been completed as well as other requirements being met, the approval packet is submitted to DCS for final approval. During this process our team is here to help with any support that may be needed. The process can take up to three months depending on how quickly the perspective foster parents complete training and provide us with the required information needed for approval.
Step VIII: Placements. After the official approval of the home by DCS, the home is now ready to receive placements. You will be assigned a Resource Home Worker to assist you and guide you with your monthly requirements, post TN Key training expectations and any other concerns that you may have.
Our dedicated placement worker will begin to work with you to find a child that is the right match for your home and family.