You Know Me
“I am the little girl in the elementary classroom with your grandchild who is excited about learning.”
“I am the teenager who plays on the football team with your son…and I’m pretty good, too!”
“I am the young woman who went to the prom with your neighbor’s teenager and now I’m beginning life as a young adult.”
“I am the young person at your place of worship who helps collect the offering during service.”
“I am a first-generation college student on my way to earning an advanced degree.”
Most children, youth and young adults in out of home placement were removed from their families right in our backyards including East Oakland, West Oakland, Hayward and South Hayward.
Homes Available
Homes Needed
Children / Youth /
Young Adults in Care
Resource
Parents
is the new term California uses to describe caregivers that provide safe, nurturing and loving homes to children, youth, and young adults that must live temporarily in out of home care.
- Resource Parents are able to foster or adopt children, youth, and young adults in foster care.
- Resource Parents include individuals, couples, and families across our wide cultural spectrum.
- Resource Parents may be related to the child, youth, or young adult, have a familiar or mentoring relationship with the child, youth, or young adult or have no previous relationship with the child, youth. or young adult.
- Resource Parents can be single, married, divorced, separated, parents, a person without parenting experience, young, older, cisgender, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and questioning, home owners, renters, employed, unemployed, of various educational attainment, and different socioeconomic status.
- Resource Parents can be of different religious and spiritual beliefs, undocumented and their primary language does not have to be English.
Resource
Families
is the new term California uses to describe families that provide safe, nurturing and loving homes to children, youth, and young adults that must live temporarily in out of home care.
- Resource Families include individuals, couples and families across our wide cultural spectrum.
- Resource Families may be related to the child, youth, or young adult, have a familiar or mentoring relationship with the child, youth, or young adult or have no previous relationship with the child, youth, or young adult.
- Resource Families can be single, married, divorced, separated, parents, a person without parenting experience, young, older, cisgender, lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and questioning, home owners, renters, employed, unemployed of various educational attainment and different social economic.
- Resource Families can be of different religious and spiritual beliefs, undocumented and their primary language does not have to be English.
Resource Parents and Resource Families are as diverse as our community.
YOU can become a Resource Parent and Resource Family, too!
Find out how!
Resource Parents and Resource Families are as diverse as our community. YOU can become a Resource Parent and Resource Family, too!
Find out how!
A Lifelong
Commitment
Alameda County Social Services Agency, Department of Children & Family Services is committed to providing Resource Parents with the support and training needed to care for children, youth, and young adults in out-of-home care. In collaboration with Chabot Community College District, we provide all Resource Parents with comprehensive training that covers a variety of topics related to caring for children, youth, and young adults who have experienced some sort of trauma. All applicants to become Resource Caregivers are required to attend 12.5 hours of Resource Family Approval (RFA) Pre-Approval Training. The training introduces Resource Family applicants to the concepts of providing safety, permanence and well-being for children, youth, and young adults in foster care. Topics include but are not limited to:
Overview of foster care systems, effects of trauma, grief and loss
Child abuse and neglect and domestic violence on child development and behavior
Cultural needs of children, youth and young adults across ethnic and racial backgrounds including children, youth or young adults that identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender
Child and adolescent development including sexual orientation, gender identity and expression
Options for permanency and the role of the Resource Caregiver in working cooperatively with
Requirements to Become a Resource Parent
Once you have decided to move forward with becoming a Resource Parent, you could progress through the RFA process within a few months! Here’s what needs to happen:
Attend an RFA Caregiver Orientation
Submit an RFA Application
Complete a background check for all adults in the home
Submit proof of identification, Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) report, verification of income, verification of residence, health questionnaire and two character references
Have your home inspected to ensure it is safe
Complete the 12.5 hour RFA Pre-Approval Training
Receive certification in CPR/First Aid
Participate in a Family Evaluation that includes all children and adults in your home
Following your approval as a Resource Family, the Department provides you with ongoing assistance by way of support groups, specialized training that is required annually, and we pay your first year of membership in the Alameda County Foster Parent Association
Who can be a
Resource Parent?
Resource Parents, who reflect the diversity in Alameda County and throughout the state of California, can be:
Single, married, divorced or separated
Young or older
Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) or transitioning
Of different religious and spiritual beliefs
Undocumented
Comfortable with another language other than English as their primary language
A renter
A home owner
Working Fulltime
Retired
Unemployed
Receiving Public Benefits
Not a Parent
Interested in Fostering Only
Interested in Adopting
Resource Family Approval
(RFA)
The state of California mandated January 1, 2017 that all counties utilize the RFA process to approve all caregivers interested in providing care for children, youth, and young adults in the foster care and juvenile probation systems that are in need of an out-of-home placement. RFA assures all substitute caregivers (i.e., relatives, friends of the family, and community members) are identified as “Resource Families” and receive the same information, training, and opportunities for support. RFA is intended to focus on lifelong relationships for our clients, achieve positive results for children, youth, young adults and families and to improve efficiency. There are requirements for approval through the RFA process, which you can view here.
You will have a Department staff person assigned to support you every step of the way, and to answer any questions or concerns you may have. There is no need to be discouraged or overwhelmed with the requirements! We are committed to assisting you through the RFA process and look forward to partnering with you in the future.
Reach Out
To Learn More
We are excited for your interest in becoming a Resource Family and welcome your questions by calling our Recruitment Hotline at 510-259-3575.
Be sure to leave your contact information so that one of our enthusiastic staff members can return your call within 48-business hours. You can also complete and submit our contact form and we will connect with you within the next 48 business hours.
RESOURCES
25 Things a Permanent Connection Can Mean/Top 10 Reasons to Adopt a Teenager.
Get Involved
Come to an
RFA Caregiver Orientation
Have questions about what it takes to become an Alameda County Resource Parent? We hold monthly RFA Caregiver Orientations for prospective Resource Parents so that we can answer any questions you may have. Please review the above calendar to get detailed information about the day, time, and location for an RFA Caregiver Orientation near you!
VIRTUAL MEETING: Resource Family Approval Caregiver Virtual Orientation in English
February 16 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm PSTOrientación virtual para cuidadores para la aprobación de familia de recurso en español
February 23 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm PSTVIRTUAL MEETING: Resource Family Approval Caregiver Virtual Orientation in English
March 16 @ 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm PST
Contact Us
For information on resource parenting or adoption, contact: Alameda County Adoption and Foster Care Hotline at: 510-259-3575
Or fill out the contact form and you will receive a Resource Parent Interest Packet.