FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about being a resource family. If you don’t find the answer to your question or have a specific situation to discuss, feel free to contact a COBYS Resource Home Coordinator at 717-656-6580 or careforkids@cobys.org.

What types of foster and adoptive resource families are needed?
Various types of families are needed, including married or single persons, families with or without biological children, and families with or without a stay-at-home caregiver. Our greatest need is for families willing to parent teens, sibling groups, minority children, and medically fragile children. In order to allow children to remain in their home school districts, families especially are needed from the following areas: Lancaster City, Reading, York, Columbia, and Ephrata.

Can I specify what type of children I wish to foster or adopt?
Resource families may specify preferences for age, gender, race, number of children, and willingness to care for children with special needs. However, the more specific the preferences, the longer the time that may be needed to match families with children. Most children placed specifically for adoption through COBYS are older than age eight.

What is the possibility of a foster child being adopted?
All children adopted through COBYS’ SWAN program begin as foster children. The longer a child remains in foster care, the greater the possibility of the child being placed for adoption. Resource parents can state their interest in adoption upon entrance into the COBYS program, and efforts are made to place potentially pre-adoptive children with families who desire to adopt. COBYS’ outcomes reflect that between 20 and 25 percent of children that are placed with COBYS’ foster care program are adopted by their resource family.

How long are most foster children in foster care?
Foster children generally remain in care between six months and two years. Birth families typically receive 15 months to correct the issues that led to the child’s placement in foster care. At any point, a foster child may transition to the care of an approved kinship resource in order to allow the child to reside with their family.

How much will we interact with our foster child’s birth parents?
Resource parents and birth parents have regular contact with each other at visitation, medical/dental appointments, and court hearings. If reunification is unable to occur and parental rights are terminated, court-ordered contact between the two sets of families ceases. The most effective resource parents build positive relationships with their foster children’s birth parents and become a source of encouragement to them.

What are my transportation responsibilities?
Resource parents are responsible for transporting children to all appointments and visits. Most foster children have court-ordered, supervised visits with biological family members a minimum of once a week. Resource parents provide transportation to and from these visits.

What are my financial responsibilities?
For all children placed with COBYS, the resource family receives a per diem reimbursement for living expenses, which includes clothing and transportation. Medical, dental, prescription, and mental health care coverage is provided by the County Children and Youth agency. Resource families are responsible for any costs associated with their approval process, including background checks, furnishing their home to accommodate children, and any home improvements needed to meet home safety requirements.

How much does it cost to adopt a child through COBYS?
Adoption of children in Pennsylvania’s foster care system is heavily subsidized to encourage timely permanency for children. In most cases adoptions are finalized with little or no cost to the adoptive family. Most children are eligible to receive ongoing adoption assistance until age 18.

If I decide I want to adopt, must I complete additional training?
COBYS’ pre-service training process prepares resource families to foster and adopt children. No separate adoption training is necessary.

Are counseling services provided?
Counseling for foster children is covered by their health insurance. The child’s caseworker will make referrals for the child to receive appropriate mental health services. Caseworkers provide support to the resource family through monthly home visits and regular phone or e-mail contacts.

What if a foster child doesn’t adjust well to our home?
Support services are provided to help meet the needs of the foster child and resource family. If a resource family still is unable to meet the foster child’s needs, an alternative placement will be found.

As a Christian organization, what kind of expectations does COBYS place on its resource families?
COBYS desires that resource families seek to meet the physical, emotional, cultural, and spiritual needs of foster children. Full participation in the life of a church community is strongly encouraged.