You do know them.
Children, youth, and young adults in foster care are no different than the children, youth, and young adults in our families and communities who are all very familiar to us
The only difference is they need a little more support while their families address the issues that brought them to the attention of the foster care system.
Alameda County Social Services, Department of Children & Family Services, is responsible for assuring the safety and well-being of approximately 1,200 children, youth, and young adults who are unable to live with their birth parents, adoptive parents, or legal guardians due to child abuse and/or neglect. Our primary goal is to reunify children and youth with their families when it is safe to do so. When that is not possible, we make every effort to find a “forever family” for them through adoption or legal guardianship.
With young adults, our primary goal is to support their successful transition into adulthood by establishing lifelong adult connections that support their growth in the areas of education, employment, stable housing as well as overall well-being.
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Children/Youth/Young Adults in Care
About Us
Greetings,
Alameda County is diverse in its residents and cultures and the services we offer should reflect that richness. It is our responsibility to nurture and support a caregiving community that reflects that diversity and offers children, youth and young adults home environments that support their healthy development into productive members of our community. We are ecstatic to partner with you in our efforts and are eager to work with you in the process of becoming a Resource Parent!
Michelle Love
Assistant Agency Director
Department of Children and Family Services
What are Resource Parents and Resource Families?
When children and youth are not able to live with their birth parents, adoptive parents, or guardians due to child abuse and/or neglect, foster care systems depend greatly on family members, friends of the family and community members to provide them with safe, nurturing and stable homes. It is our first priority to support our families so their children and youth return home. Our caregiving community supports these efforts by working closely with the Department to assure that children and youth receive supportive services as well as visits with their families.
Resource Parents and Resource Families are as diverse as our community. YOU can become a Resource Parent/Resource Family, too!
Alameda County Social Services Agency, Department of Children & Family Services, is here to provide the training, resources, and support to our Resource Parents along their unique journey.
Always room for love
Becoming a Resource Parent promises to be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life! Making the commitment to establish and nurture healthy and supportive relationships with children, youth, and young adults who have experienced some sort of trauma requires great effort and patience with the potential of having a lifelong, lasting impact on their lives. The ability to demonstrate care and day-to-day love in a parenting relationship is what all children, youth, and young adults need. The idea that there is always room for love is part of the foundation of healthy parenting.
A lifelong committment
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.
Training 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 the Department, birth family, adoptive family and supportive partners and reasonable and prudent parent standard.
Resource Family Approval
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.
