Foster Care

What is Foster Care?

Approximately 15,000 children in Pennsylvania’s child welfare system are unable to live with their biological families due to abuse, neglect or behavioral problems. The goal of foster care is to assist biological families in resolving the issues that led to the child’s placement in foster care so that families can be reunited as quickly and safely as possible. Foster care is intended to be temporary for children. If families cannot be reunified another permanent option, such as adoption, is pursued.

What is COBYS’ Role in the Foster Care System?

COBYS Family Services:

• Trains and approves families to care for children.
• Receives referrals for children in foster care from county child welfare agencies. When a COBYS resource family is determined to be the best resource for a child, COBYS assumes responsibility for meeting the child’s physical, emotional, educational, cultural, and spiritual needs.

Caring for foster children presents many challenges to families. Our Christian focus and manageable caseloads enable us to provide resource families with the help they need to succeed in parenting. COBYS:

• Supports the foster child and their resource family through regular visits, advice, encouragement and 24-hour emergency access to a caseworker.
• Provides financial assistance to the resource families, which helps to cover the child’s living and travel expenses.

Who Are the Children in Foster Care?

Children are placed into foster care because they cannot safely stay with their biological family. They are children:

• Between the ages of 0 to 21
• Of all racial and ethnic groups
• Of various religions
• Individuals
• Sibling groups
• Some with mental or behavioral or medical needs

Who Are the Resource Families?

COBYS resource families are:

• Married or single persons
• Families with or without biological children
• Families with or without a stay-at-home caregiver
• Those who have a common desire to share God’s love with children in foster care
• Open to one or more of the following ways to care for children: foster care, foster to adoption, adoption, and short-term emergency and respite care
• Providers of love, guidance, nurture and structure that children need to heal from past experiences

Want to take the next step in learning about becoming a resource family with COBYS? Click the link for a short form to request an Inquiry Packet, a call from a Resource Home Coordinator, and/or to register for an Information Session.