Christian Foster Care & Foster-to-Adopt
National Office 241 High Street New Wilmington, PA 16142 (800) 543-7058
The Bair Foundation receives funding from the States of Kentucky, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. The Bair Foundation Child & Family Minsitries is a recognized nonprofit 501(c)3 organization and receives funds from private donations.
"I find myself, even as a believer in an Almighty, All Powerful, Sovereign God asking a lot of 'why?' questions. 'Why, God, does this happen?' 'Why, God, aren’t you doing anything?' 'Why, God, don’t you help the poor helpless children?' 'Why, God, are your people not doing anything?' and I did eventually get to... 'Why, (WHY!) am I not doing anything?!'” - Michelle Stevens, Foster and Adoptive Parent
Thank you for taking the time to learn about The Bair Foundation and the ministry of Christian Foster Care. Although we have tried to provide you with as much information as possible, there is more information than this brochure can cover. If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact us directly. We are always happy to answer questions, hear comments or share insights that we might have. As foster parent trainings are scheduled in your area, a representative will call to invite you to participate in the process. Classes are always free and there is no obligation to attend. If you would like to support foster children financially, you can donate securely online at www.bair.org/donate. Your contributions are 100% tax-deductible.
God’s Heart for the Orphan:
Let Every Foster Child Experience God’s
Bair’s Adoption and Foster-to-Adopt Process Providing Foster Care that May Lead to an Adoption
mily
Through the Eyes
Y
es, there is a difference between foster care and adoption. Foster care provides children and teens who have been separated from their parents or guardians - usually because of abuse or neglect - with a temporary home. Once a child or teen is adopted, they become a permanent part of that family.
of a Foster Child...
In a foster-to-adopt placement, a child or teen is placed in a home before the child’s biological parental rights have been legally terminated. There are times that, while a child is in a foster home, they become eligible for adoption. Because of their commitment to the children placed in their home, many of our families that have been certified for foster care make the decision to adopt these children once the parental rights have been terminated. The success stories are many and varied. We will assist our foster parents in prayerfully considering adoption as a natural next step for the entire family.
The Advantages of Foster-to-Adopt
UNFAILING LOVE!
The Rexroth Fa
The Blair Family
Adoption Facts
Adopting from foster care is affordable.
Thousands of employers offer financial reimbursement and paid leave for employees who adopt and Federal and/or state adoption tax credits are available to most families.
Identifying families willing to foster-to-adopt reduces the number of moves a child makes and allows relationships to evolve prior to the adoption.
Because both the parent and the child have had time to build a relationship, both parties enter the adoption with a better sense of what to expect.
In most states, The Bair Foundation is able to provide necessary support services and facilitate the adoption of foster children and teens who are currently in care, as they become legally eligible for adoption.
Every child has a dream to belong and be loved. Many children in foster care have special needs. All of them deserve the chance to grow up in a safe, loving, permanent home.
Support and other post-adoption resources are available.
Adopting from foster care is permanent. Once a child is adopted out of foster care, the birth parents cannot regain custody.
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will. - Ephesians 1:5
P
icture yourself as a child in your own bedroom. Now imagine a loud knock at the door. A strange woman (a Social Worker) and a Police Officer enter. They tell you to pack a bag because you are leaving with them. Your mother is screaming and sobbing. You don’t want to leave. Scared and confused, a million questions race through your mind... “Should I go with them? Where will they take me? What is going to happen to me?” You open your mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Anxious to leave, the Social Worker “helps” you pack. She grabs an armful of clothes from this drawer, and an armful from another, like a whirlwind she indiscriminately places the items in a bag and then whisks you out of your room, out of your home, and into the back seat of a waiting car. As you look out the car window, a tear starts to flow because in your heart you fear that you will never see your home again. As the car slowly turns down the next street the only home you have ever known disappears from your sight, forever. Every day children and teens will enter foster care under circumstances very much like those described. The vast majority of these children enter care scared and confused, with everything they have in the world, unceremoniously tossed into a trash bag. The Bair Foundation is committed to providing foster homes for these kids. Our mission field is the sea of lost children and teens that often go unnoticed in their own cities and towns.
"For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.." - Matthew 25:35
T
hank you for your interest in helping the lost, lonely, abused and hurting children of God. Since 1967, The Bair Foundation’s Christian foster care ministry has provided hope and healing to hardto-place foster children & teens. Staying true to the vision of our founder, Bill Bair (who answered the call by taking teens into his own home), we continue to provide quality services, faith, and commitment to foster youth. By saying “YES” to sibling groups, medically needy foster children, and to teen placements, we believe we are doing the work God planned in advance for The Bair Foundation Ministry. By providing a safe home, unconditional love and acceptance, we send a message of encouragement and faith to children who are hurting. Our foster parents come from all walks of life, but they all have this in common…they love children, they want to serve God, and they desire to do something with purpose. As a Bair foster parent, you become an important member of the team that is making a difference. As you model Christian love and compassion in the lives of children and teens, you will change a child’s life… and your own.
“Our foster son changed our lives more than we could have EVER changed his.” - Terri Santisteven Bair Medically Needy Foster Parent
Equipping the Called:
The Bair Foundation’s Foster Parent Support God Does Not Call the Equipped, Rather He Equips Those He Calls!
Before You Dive In...
I
f this is the first time that you have thought about fostering, it’s not unusual for you to have some doubts. You have heard so much about foster care, and not all of it is good, so you are left to wonder... As you wonder, you form your own ideas about what it may be like to be a foster parent. You may create a vision of your first foster child and what it will be like to care for that child. It is often a little dangerous to confuse illusion with reality. The child that you have created in your mind exists only in your imagination. The danger comes when you hold on to the illusion so tightly that it becomes difficult for you to accept the real child that God will eventually bring to your door. At our Group Study Process (GSP) you will learn the facts about foster care. Armed with the right information you will leave with a clearer, more realistic picture of what you can expect as a foster parent. We believe that you have been called into this mission field. We encourage you to continue to focus on what is real; the need for foster homes and your calling to this mission field.
Here Am I, Send Me! There are many ways you can help change a life!
The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send workers into his harvest field. - Matt. 9:38
T
he Bair Foundation has the following opportunities to be involved in the mission field of foster care. You have the unique opportunity to model Christ's love and compassion in a young life, but time is literally running out. Unfortunately, childhood does not wait. We have a chance to sow seeds in these young lives, and provide the opportunity for God to work and eventually provide an eternal harvest.
A
lthough the prospect of becoming a foster parent may seem daunting, as you enter this mission field, please remember that you are not alone. If you are certain that God has called you to this, you can also be certain that He’s going to equip you to carry out all that He has planned for you. The following list is part of the support we provide to our foster parents. The list varies slightly from office to office. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Training Preparing you for the mission field is important. Prior to your first placement you will receive specific training on the many aspects of foster care. As a foster parent, you will receive ongoing training to better equip you to minister to the children in your care.
Medical Care The medical needs of all foster children in care are covered.
Structured Intervention Model® The Bair Foundation has developed a comprehensive treatment model for children in foster care. Based on 5 core principles, the Structured Intervention Model® will facilitate positive outcomes. By giving foster parents the tools necessary to overcome the challenges and demands of children with emotional and behavioral issues, we see an increase in placement stability and lasting change.
The Bair Scholarship Fund Bair's Ed Massey, Jr. Scholarship Fund was designed to give children in care the opportunity to continue their education. Funding is available for undergraduate degrees from trade schools, technical colleges as well as traditional college and universities, to those that qualify.
Opportunities to Serve
Case Management
Full Time Foster Parenting
Part Time Foster Parenting (Respite)
Medically Needy Foster Parenting
A Social Worker from The Bair Foundation will visit your home on a regular basis to provide support and direction regarding the care and treatment of foster children placed in your home. Your Social Worker will become your biggest resource for advice and encouragement.
Single Parent Homes & Homes with Working Parents
Foster Parent Reimbursement
Eligibility Requirements
You will receive a set amount (paid monthly) as a reimbursement to cover the costs incurred in providing food, clothing and shelter for each child. Reimbursement rates vary from state to state.
Christ-centered Staff
24 Hour On Call
We Truly Appreciate You!
Foster parents may face difficult and challenging circumstances during the course of any placement. A representative from The Bair Foundation will be available and on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for emergency support.
Without you this ministry would not exist. Foster Parent Appreciation events are scheduled each year to honor your commitment, service and sacrifice.
At least 21 years of age
Single, legally married/divorced for 1 year
Retired or employed & able to cover your own personal and household expenses
Pass a criminal background check
A US citizen or meet non-US citizen requirements as listed in Bair's policy manual
The Independent Living Fund Bair's Paul Smith Independent Living Fund was designed to provide matching funding (up to $1,000) to Bair foster teens toward the purchase of a vehicle. Transportation leads to independence and self-sufficiency.
We are prayer warriors and believe in the power of prayer!
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. - 1 Thessalonians 5:24
Getting to Know All About You!
“People say,
The Bair Foundation’s Home Study Process
‘kids my age are hard to place and that time is running out for me.’
I
n an effort to maintain our standard of excellence, protect the children and teens in care and make the best possible placement decisions, The Bair Foundation employs a number of criminal background checks, reference checks, face to face interviews and home visits collectively known as the Home Study Process.
Please don’t give up trying. I’m already having trouble holding on to my hope.”
BY THE NUMBERS:
U.S. FOSTER CARE
The Home Study Process begins with paperwork. The list varies according to state. Typically items like an autobiography, a list of house rules, a fire escape plan, and a list of emergency contacts will need to be completed and turned in. Additionally, you may be required to provide a copy of your driver’s license and proof of insurance, medical records, proof of marital status, pet vaccination records, etc.
FACTS
One child without a family is one child too many!
Your home will need to be visited and inspected. During these visits, any safety or licensing violations noted will need to be corrected prior to being licensed as a foster parent. At the heart of the Home Study Process are the interviews. Interviews are another opportunity for us to get to know you better. In order for us to make the best placement decisions possible, it becomes necessary for us to really get to know you. To identify your strengths and weaknesses, to understand the dynamic of your family and to assess the possible limitations of your home. The interview will also explore personal issues, your relationships, your finances, and any history of abuse or neglect will be covered thoroughly. The interview may also be a time where possible weaknesses are identified and safeguards are discussed and implemented. The demands of therapeutic foster care will add stress to your life, as well as to the lives of those who are close to you. Our goal during these interviews is to help you identify any place where stress may result in a fracture, and to reinforce those areas before they become problems.
Children in U.S. foster care: 437,465
Children “aging out” of the foster system annually without being adopted: 20,532
Average age of a child in the foster system: 8.5 years
Average age of a child waiting to be adopted: 7.7 years
Average length of stay in the foster system: 20.1 mos.
Number of children whose parental rights were terminated 2016: 66,274
Children in foster care waiting to be adopted: 117,794
Approximate number of children adopted from foster care in 2016: 57,208
Number of caring adults it takes to make a life-long difference for a child in the foster care system: 1
Soure: AFCARS Fiscal Year 2016 as of October 20, 2017; Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System; Department of Health & Human Services https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. - Hebrews 13:2
- Foster teen waiting for a family
Experiencing God’s Heart
for Older Foster Children
O
n any given day, there are over 400,000 children in out-of-home care in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Human Services. Out of that number, 42% are over the age of ten.
“When I was 14, I was placed in foster care. I was taken from my parents due to sexual, physical, and mental abuse. The day I went into the foster care system I was assigned a case worker. I waited for my case worker to arrive at the police department. When she got there she was very nice. She told me she could not find a foster home for me on such short notice, and I would have to go to the local children’s shelter.
Foster parenting takes patience, love and commitment. It requires you to stand by a child or teen that has been traumatized and may act out because they don’t know any other way to express their emotions and pain. It is an important decision that should be made prayerfully and not taken lightly. But as a believer who feels “called” to foster, you can be assured that God will give you the strength and endurance to do the job and Bair will be there every step of the way to give you the tools and support you need.
What I didn’t know then was that it would be hard to place me even on long term notice. So I waited... a couple of months went by and I was put into my first foster home. After that I went through 30 more foster homes. Every time I moved, it reaffirmed what I already knew... no one wanted me.”
As you envision the child you’d like to foster, read what one foster youth wrote...
Can you imagine the pain of knowing that you aren’t wanted? By fostering a teen, you can literally provide a lifeline to a young boy or girl, who because of nothing more than their age... may enter adulthood without the love, support and guidance of a family. Prayerfully consider fostering an older child or teen. You may be the only Jesus they will ever know.
You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. - Job 11:18
Becoming a Bair Foundation Foster Family... Serving Christ in a Mission Field that’s Close to Home!
F
oster parenting is a decision that should not be taken lightly. You are encouraged to get as much information as possible as you prayerfully consider the mission field of foster care.
The McNea ry
☑ Step 1: The GSP
Family
lthough foster parents face obstacles that are uniquely their own, there are challenges and trials all foster parents will have in common. Our goal at The Bair Foundation is to make sure that you are fully prepared to meet these challenges. The process of becoming a foster parent begins with education. At our Group Study Process (GSP) you will be enrolled in classes with others who are also beginning the process of becoming a foster parent. You will learn about The Bair Foundation, the children that are served and what you can expect as a foster parent.
The Greenwald Family
The Bean Fam
ily
Your education as a Foster Parent begins at our Group Study Process (GSP). Think of the GSP as “Foster Parent University.” At the GSP you will have an opportunity to meet and interact with our staff and foster parents.
The GSP will be your best source of information. As you progress through the training, you may have the opportunity to interact with our staff and foster parents. Each GSP uses a combination of multimedia, role-playing, and interactive learning to illustrate points and offer insight and educate foster parents. Upon completion of the GSP, you will be enrolled in additional classes to further prepare you for your new role as a foster parent. The list of classes may include:
• First Aid & CPR • Psychotropic Medications • Crisis Management
☑ Step 2: The Home Study
After completing the GSP, you will be assigned a Home Study date. The Home Study Process includes a thorough investigation of your background, an inspection of your home and the completion of all required paperwork.
Once you have completed the GSP, you will be assigned a Home Study date. Additional training may happen concurrently with your Home Study. Our goal is to have foster parents through the Home Study Process and ready for a placement as quickly as possible.
☑ Step 3: Support
The Bair Foundation is dedicated to supporting our foster parents. As you start your journey as a foster parent, we will be right beside you, making sure that you have the tools, prayer, and support necessary to be successful in this mission field.
The Bair Foundation’s Group Study Process
A
In addition to the information provided in this brochure, our Group Study Process (GSP) will provide you with a wealth of information and your first real insight into foster care and what makes The Bair Foundation so special.
Becoming a Bair Foundation Foster Parent is a 3 Step Process:
Foster Parent University:
The Peoples Family
Training does not end with certification. On-going training is required to maintain your licensure. Foster Parent classes are provided throughout the year.
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. - Matthew 25:35
What I Learned:
My Journey as a Foster Parent
I
had thought about fostering for years, but I was still nervous. As I read the information that I received in the mail, it seemed to raise more questions than it answered.
In the beginning I wondered if this was really the right decision. How would fostering affect my marriage and our children? Would our own kids be safe? Was there any way to choose the types of children that I would foster? Despite my doubts, I attended the GSP and together with a room full of people who had the same doubts and fears as me, I began my journey as a foster parent. The questions that nagged me in the beginning quickly disappeared as I began to learn more about what it means to be a foster parent. After talking to some of The Bair Foundation’s current foster parents, I gained an eternal perspective on foster care. There’s an intangible reward that comes from service, and I could see it in the attitudes of each of the foster parents who shared that night. Fostering had changed their lives, and I became more anxious to experience that change for myself.
I also learned that the safety of our family is of paramount importance to the staff of The Bair Foundation. Each placement is carefully considered. Placements are made by comparing the needs of the child with the strengths and skills of a foster home. Ultimately, the decision to accept a placement is mine. My biggest lesson came after my first placement. When I got the call from The Bair Foundation, I was hoping for a young boy who was closer in age to my biological sons. Over the phone I was introduced to a teen girl. As her story unfolded, I realized that what this girl desperately needed was a mother, and that God had given me the opportunity to fill that need in her life. As it turns out, the teen that God had chosen for me was more of a blessing than I could have imagined. Looking back, I am thankful that God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we expect. Our foster daughter has been a real blessing. I’m not saying that there aren’t bad days... But as the Psalmist said, “our good days out number our bad days, so we don’t complain.” - a Bair Foster Parent