As we have begun this paper trail of becoming foster parents, we’ve learned a lot. There are so many words and phrases that I’ve sure you’ve heard, but you might not be sure what they mean.
For some of them, there are professionals who have explained better than I can, so I will link to a few articles. This article is a glossary of a bunch of different terms, this article focuses on what to call biological families, and this article clarifies the difference between fostering and adopting.
However, none of these articles really address the type of foster care we are doing.
UC Foster Care
We are not doing traditional foster care. We are doing foster care for unaccompanied minors (UC)1 who are entering the US. This article does a good job of explaining why a child might be in this type of foster care. Here is another article that explains UC Foster Care.
With this type of foster care, kids are normally with foster parents 2 weeks to 3 months depending on who their sponsor is (more on that in a minute). If their sponsor is a parent, it’s usually on the shorter end. If they are a family friend, it will be on the longer end. However, it will never be more than 3 months. If they are not reunited with their families, they will go to long-term refugee foster care. This article explains what that looks like.
This podcast is another good resource to learn more about immigration in the US.
Sponsor
Our kids have a sponsor in the United States. They could be a family member or a family friend. The children who live with us will be reunited with their sponsor in two weeks to three months. The goal of our foster care is for them to be reunited with their sponsor.
Respite Care
You may remember that our first placement was respite care. This is where other foster parents watch some kids that are already in foster care while their foster parents have a break. It could be for a weekend or longer depending on the foster parents’ needs.
This is important because we are not allowed to have just anyone babysit our kids. In order to babysit (even for an evening), people have to complete training and be approved by our agency. Even if you don’t feel like you can become a foster parent. Becoming a certified babysitter is an awesome way to support foster parents. I think different agencies have different restrictions on who can babysit and for how long. For us, anyone who wants to babysit must complete some training including CPR and First Aid.
Some people may ask, “Why can’t foster parents take their foster children with them when they travel?” It really depends. There may be restrictions about taking foster children out of state. It is also a lot of paperwork. If a foster parent does not bring foster children with them on a trip, it does not say anything bad about the foster parent. This video does a good job of explaining some of the restrictions that foster parents have to follow. Some of the rules vary from state to state and agency to agency.
Also, there are times when parents just need a break. And that is ok too.
We’re still learning
I am sure there are things in that I have gotten wrong in this post. I am still learning throughout this process, and I am honored that you have chosen to learn along with me.
You might also see this type of foster care called UAC foster care. I originally used it in my first post. At the time, I mistakenly thought that it stood for UnAccompanied Children. I recently found out that the A stands for another word that I am not comfortable using to describe human beings. It is a legal term, so you may see it. I would also bet some other people are using UAC without knowing the real meaning. UC foster care is the preferred term for this type of foster care.