There are great rewards to being a foster parent, but it can be challenging too! North Dakota provides a strong support system to help manage the foster parenting experience.
Financial
Reimbursement for the care of a North Dakota foster child is issued monthly to the foster parent depending on the child's age and whether the child requires special care due to physical, emotional or behavioral problems. Expenses such as room and board, specified travel costs, clothing, personal allowances, and other material needs are paid for a foster child. A child's health care needs are paid through Medicaid or health insurance.
Liability Coverage
North Dakota provides property damage liability coverage for licensed foster homes subject to certain conditions. This coverage is secondary to the foster parent's own insurance.
Training
The licensing agency provides orientation followed by pre-service training. Each licensed foster family is required to complete annual training hours. Annual training opportunities are available on a local, regional and statewide basis.
Licensing Specialists
Staff are assigned to work with each foster parent, and local case managers are assigned to each child, which offers partnership to help meet the needs of the home, school, family and community.
Respite Care
Temporary relief care for a child with special medical, emotional, or behavioral needs, which require time-limited supervision and care. Respite care will support both the child in care and the provider by offering a break, when needed. No greater than 12 hrs/wk (non-overnights) or 4 days (overnights).
Contact the child’s case manager if respite care is needed to support placement stability.
Provider Task Force
Health and Human Services facilitated a ND Provider Task Force to meet at least quarterly to provide feedback, generate ideas and support innovative change. Locally, certain areas of the state have orchestrated Foster Parent Associations, which provide a forum for foster parents to exchange and learn from each other's experiences.
The UND Children and Family Services Training Center (CFSTC) offers various support group and panel opportunities for foster parents throughout the month. Check out Facebook!
Quarterly Newsletter
Foster parents receive Fostering Communication, a quarterly newsletter published by the UND Children and Family Services Training Center.