What companies may not know about the foster parent experience

There are more than 400,000 children in foster care in the United States, highlighting a significant need for foster parents.

The journey to becoming a foster parent involves significant time, paperwork and responsibilities. Understanding this process can help companies provide better support for their fostering employees.

Becoming a foster parent entails several steps, each demanding time and attention, often impacting an employee's work schedule:

• Home study: This intensive process includes multiple interviews, home visits, background checks and more. These steps require employees to be available at different times throughout the process.

• Training programs: Prospective foster parents must complete training on topics like trauma-informed care, child development, and CPR. These sessions are frequently held during business hours and may be located far from an employee's home or office.. 

• Licensing process: Obtaining a foster care license involves medical exams, reference checks, and potential home modifications. These requirements are time-consuming and can conflict with a standard 9-5 work schedule.

How employers can support foster parent employees

Understanding the complexities of foster care is an important first step for employers that want to provide proper support to their foster parent employees.

Here are a few ways companies can help ensure employees feel supported while they navigate the fostering process:

• Offer flexibility: Allow remote work and flexible hours to help foster parents manage their responsibilities without falling behind at work or depleting their paid time off, especially since each step of the process requires time away - often with short notice. 

• Update leave policies: Ensure your parental leave policy is inclusive of all paths to parenthood, including fostering. Think about the language, make it clear how much paid time off employees who foster receive, and when they’re eligible to take it.

• Provide emotional support: Consider offering access to counseling services specifically tailored for foster parents, or create peer support groups for parents to provide a sense of community within the organization.

• Educate managers: Invest in training for managers so they feel equipped to support their direct reports and lead with empathy – starting with the foster parent process through their parental leave and return to work transition. 

These are just a few ways companies can support their employees who become foster parents. 

By implementing family-friendly policies and fostering an inclusive culture, you’ll create a supportive environment that truly values all employees as they become parents.

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