Apply to the Children’s Service for a consultation on how to create a large foster family.

How to apply:

• Online — via the DIIA state service portal
• In person — to the Children’s service at your place of residence

Outcome of Step: you have attended a consultation, and understand the differences between the different forms of family-based care available for children who are orphaned and deprived of parental care – adoption, guardianship, large foster family and foster care. You have decided that you are ready to offer family care and are ready to take the next step to become a large foster care provider.

Collect the package of documents and have your living conditions assessed.

Anyone who intends to create a large foster family must submit an application to the Children’s Service at their place of residence, along with the required package of documents.

An application can be submitted in hard copy in person with the Children’s Service, or electronically via this link: Foster parents, caregiving parents: getting registered as a candidate | Diia

Spouses who intend to create a large foster family must submit a joint statement, signed by each spouse, and all of the documents required for each person, except for the document on income, which can be submitted by only one of spouse. Where one of the spouses is in military service, no health statement is required, however their health statement shall be filed within fifteen calendar days of their return from military service.
The package of documents for creating a large foster family

Outcome of Step:

After the documents are checked, the Children’s Service enters data into the Unified Data Bank (the unified electronic data bank on children who are orphaned and children deprived of parental care, and families of potential foster parents, guardians, custodians, foster parents, caregivers), assesses the applicants’ living conditions, and submits an electronic request to the social service centre to arrange for you to attend a training course on the care of children who are orphaned and children deprived of parental care.

Take the training course on care of children who are orphaned and children deprived of parental care

The social service centre will inform the Children’s Service of existing opportunities and nearest available training dates. Employees of the Children’s Service will inform you of the opportunities and issue you with an electronic or paper referral to the training course on the care of children who are orphaned and deprived of parental care, specifying the establishment, institution or organisation providing the training course. The social service centre can directly inform you of the details about the training course.

Outcome of Step:

Following the successful completion of the training course on the care of children who are orphaned and children deprived of parental care, you will receive a course completion certificate and recommendations on family care.

The social service centre will send a copy of documents confirming your completion of the training course to the Children’s Service that referred you. Please be proactive and send the certificate and recommendations to the specialist of the Children’s Service as soon as you receive them.

The Children’s Service shall register you on the potential guardian, custodian, foster parent, caregiving parent log and prepare an opinion on creating the large foster family.