Foster parenting is more than just filling an empty room in your home with a child who needs a place to go. There are many different programs offered by many different agencies. Finding a good match is important.

A good place to start is to determine what kind of children you will consider taking into your home. Are you a light sleeper who wants to get up with a newborn? Maybe connecting with teenagers is your forte. Find your strengths where children are concerned and there are kiddos out there who fit that need.

What kind of placement will you be available for? Are you looking to be a safe place for kids to go in an emergency, who may only stay overnight? Are you willing to care for a child until they turn 18? Maybe somewhere in the middle? Or maybe you are looking for a child to adopt?

Another consideration is whether you are willing to take children with higher needs. Some foster children are born with addictions, others have disabilities ranging from mild developmental delays to life threatening diseases. Some have behavioural issues induced by an unsafe pregnancy or brought on by the instability of living in the foster care system. There is great training for dealing with any special need, you'll only need to decide if it's for you.

Next, assess your home. Do you have an extra room and a place for children to play? Do you have biological kids of your own who will share their world starting with the first placement? Do you have the ability to get your foster child to appointments? The more questions you find solutions to beforehand, the better prepared you'll be once a child is in your home.

Are your expectations realistic? Most foster children will come into your home with their own history, experiences, memories, habits, beliefs, qusetions - positive and negative. Regardless of the amount of time each child spends in your home, you are going to have to face and help with everything that that child is dealing with.

One last thing to keep in mind is how your family and friends feel about foster parenting. While their opinion shouldn't make a difference in whether you choose to become a foster parent, if they are not supportive of your decision, you may have to deal with them at some point. And quite possibly your foster child may be put in a situation, be it a family get together or just an informal visit, where this person's issues with foster children is apparent. My personal opinion is that these people should have no say in you

As important it is to find a good match between foster child and foster parent, it's as important to find a good match with your foster care agency. After all, the people in this agency will be your main source of support, information and training. If you know other foster parents near you, ask them about their experience with their agency.

All states and most counties have agencies dedicated to the placement and support of foster children. You can find out more by contacting a Foster Care Specialist in your state.

You may also choose to become a foster parent for a private agency instead. Most private agencies serve foster children who require more of a theraputic environment because of special needs. Foster parenting through a private agency usually requires more training and more skills, but is rewarded with higher reimbursement and more support services.

Compensation for foster parenting will vary from child to child and agency to agency.

So maybe taking in a foster child fulltime isn't for you, but you are still interested in helping every now and then.

Foster parents need a break every so often and most agencies require someone certified through their agency to provide care if that break is going to be for longer than 24 hours. This is provided by a respite provider. Rather than having children placed in your home, respite providers offer more of a short term or weekend babysitting service for children already placed in another home. Compensation is usually the same daily rate the foster parent is getting paid.

Respite providers typically go through standard foster care training and usually are expected maintain the same requirements the agency has for it's foster parents.

Respite providers are desperately needed in every state.