Make a difference in the life of a child.

Each day, children and youth are displaced from their homes – sometimes because of abuse and neglect, other times because parents temporarily cannot care for them. Since 1985, NET Foster Care and Permanency Services has helped thousands of children and teenagers in Southeastern Pennsylvania find safe, loving homes. As we’ve grown and expanded our services, the need for foster care, adoptive parents and permanent legal custodians has also grown.

We work with foster and adoptive parents during the family assessment process to determine the type of child best suited to the family. Some families opt to participate in treatment-level foster care for children and youth with specialized behavioral health needs. These foster parents receive specialized training and more intense support from NET.

Applicants, who can be single or married, must meet these minimum requirements:

• Be at least 21 years of age, be in good health and free of contagious diseases
• Have a safe home that can accommodate a child or children
• Pass screening requirements related to child abuse and criminal history clearances
• Participate in all pre-service training
• Be able to complete a family assessment process, and
• Genuinely enjoy and care about children.

While foster and adoptive parents do receive a subsidy to cover the cost of basic care, they must also have an independent steady source of income. A state-funded HMO covers the child’s medical expenses.

Foster and adoptive parents open their homes and hearts to children in need of care, a task that is both rewarding and challenging. If you feel that you and your family have something to offer a child in need, consider the challenge.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

About becoming a foster parent: Contact Naida Lillo, Administrative Assistant, at 215-408-4967.

About adoption: Contact Christina Johnson, NET’s Permanency Supervisor, at 215-408-4917 or cjohnson@net-centers.org.

To read more about NET’s Foster Care, Adoption and Child Welfare Services, click here.

To download NET’s Foster Care/Adoption brochure, click here.

To see a gallery of waiting children, go to www.adoptpakids.org.