Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements to become a Seneca foster parent?
What city do I need to live in to be eligible to foster with Seneca?
I work. Can I still become a foster parent?
Is it necessary to be married to become a Seneca foster parent?
Does your program support LGBT individuals and families?
Who are the children in Seneca’s foster care program?
What is Intensive Treatment Foster Care?
How long will a child live with me?
What support services are available to Seneca foster parents?
What steps do I take to become a Seneca foster parent?

What are the requirements to become a Seneca foster parent?

Seneca Center welcomes individuals who:

• Are at least 25 years old
• Are single or married
• Have a sustainable income
• Are renters or homeowners with enough room for a foster youth
• Are not parents or are parents to children over the age of 3
• Are able to pass a criminal background check

What city do I need to live in to be eligible to foster with Seneca?

Seneca Center works within a 50 mile radius of our Oakland office in Northern California. Situations may vary, depending on locale and County.

I work. Can I still become a foster parent?

Yes! Many of our foster parents work full or part time. Retirees are also welcome to apply to become foster parents.

Is it necessary to be married to become a Seneca foster parent?

It is not necessary to be married in order to be a foster parent. Seneca Center welcomes individuals who are single and/or divorced, in addition to married couples and domestic partners.

Does your program support LGBT individuals and families?
 
Yes! Seneca Center is an LGBTQ friendly organization that enthusiastically welcomes members of the LGBTQ community to become foster parents in our Intensive Treatment Foster Care program.

Who are the children in Seneca’s foster care program?

We work with children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have been hurt by abuse and neglect and have been removed from their biological families through no fault of their own. In many instances, our children have been in the foster care system for quite a while and have had multiple prior placements before entering Seneca’s Intensive Treatment program. As a result of past trauma, they experience behavioral and emotional challenges that necessitate a higher level of care.

What is Intensive Treatment Foster Care?

The Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) program offers a family-based treatment alternative to group care for children with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Utilizing trained foster parents as the primary caregivers, this program blends the normalizing features of foster family care with intensive counseling, case management, and support services. Our team of social workers, therapists, support counselors, and foster families provides each child with a warm, supportive home environment that encourages healthy growth and development.

How long will a child live with me?

This depends on whether you decide to provide emergency, long-term, or respite care. Emergency foster placements last no more than 60 days at a time, and may be as short as one day. Long-term placements are usually six months or longer, and sometimes last for several years. Respite care placements are short-term and occur when foster youth need a temporary place to stay, or are in transition between placements.

What support services are available to Seneca foster parents?

Seneca provides an extensive array of support services to foster parents, including:

• A tax free $2,000 monthly stipend
• 24 hour on-call crisis support
• Weekly home visits from social workers and support counselors
• Ongoing training and skills development
• Monthly foster parent support groups
• Respite care

What steps do I take to become a Seneca foster parent?

Becoming a Seneca Center foster parent is a multi-step process that typically takes 2 to 3 months. Here is an overview of the necessary steps:

1. Attend a foster parent information session to learn more about our programs, the certification requirements, and the children we serve
2. Schedule an initial walk-through of your home: this allows us to evaluate your home for space and safety in anticipation of housing foster youth
3.  Complete the application packet and provide required documentation
4. Attend 40 hours of pre-certification training courses
5. Participate in a home study with a Seneca Center social worker
6. Complete the live scan finger printing and background check (required for all members of the household who are over the age of 18)
7. Schedule a final walk-through of your home to ensure compliance with California State Community Care Licensing regulations

Once these steps are complete and you become a certified foster parent, we will begin the matching process!