Foster Parenting – FAQs

The children’s level of contact with their biological families varies greatly from case to case. In some cases, parental rights may already be terminated, resulting in no contact. In other cases, there may be phone calls and supervised visits, or children may be weekends at home with their families unsupervised.

Bellewood offers respite care for all of our families and children. Respite is used when a foster family simply needs to take a break for a few days or if the foster family needs to be away for other reasons. Simply let your Bellewood worker know in advance that you need personal time, and they will schedule respite for you.

Typically Bellewood does not receive placement of infants and toddlers. Although we serve children and youth of all ages, the greatest need is for foster parents willing to work with teenagers.

Yes, you are not alone in this. Bellewood provides support in a variety of ways:

• Emergency on-call services 24/7
• Financial support
• Free liability insurance
• Specialized, continual training
• Quarterly foster parent support group meetings
• A quality team of professionals eager to assist you

Yes. Bellewood respects your current family situation and wants to place a child in your home who will be a good fit. During the training process you will fill out a form that serves as a guideline for the type of child you would like to have. As each child comes available for placement, staff members will determine appropriate homes for the child. Bellewood will then contact prospective foster parents to discuss the child. At that point you can decide whether to proceed with that particular child. You can decline placement at any time.

Our goal is for foster youth to be treated as much like one of your own children as possible.  However, there are some limitations on what foster youth can do.  We must get permission from the state (who has custody of foster youth) to attend certain events such as family vacations.  Also, typically a foster youth will not be allowed to drive an automobile even if they meet the age requirement until they are 18 years old.

Children placed in Bellewood foster homes come from all over Kentucky. These children have been removed from their home by the Cabinet of Health and Family Services for a variety of reasons.

No. Children are allowed to share a room with other children in the home but are not allowed to share a bedroom with a foster parent. However, they must have their own bed.

No. Each child in foster care has full medical care provided by a medical card. You also receive a very generous, tax-free payment each month to reimburse you for your time and expenses. Bellewood also gives its foster parents additional financial support each month to buy clothes for foster children. Additionally, Bellewood reimburses for mileage to therapy appointments and any mileage more than 40 miles one way for all other trips.

Foster parent training classes are scheduled at your convenience. Unlike many agencies that offer large, classroom-style trainings, Bellewood provides individual classes in your home when your schedule allows. These in home trainings are not just convenient; they allow our foster parents and Bellewood staff to become acquainted and comfortable with each other in their working relationship.

• Be at least 21 years old and pass preliminary screenings and checks
• Complete 34 hours of state mandated training
• Complete 6 hours of additional Bellewood specific training
• Have a valid First Aid/CPR card
• Pass a home safety audit
• Provide letters of reference
• Complete all required paperwork
• Have adequate bedroom space for the children
• Have reliable transportation
• Be able to provide proper supervision and structure for children
• Willing to cooperate with Bellewood’s staff and practices

Almost anyone who has a desire to help children can become a foster parent. All foster parents must be at least 21 years old and pass background checks, a health screening, and provide verification of income.

Therapeutic Foster Care is an intensive, treatment-based approach to caring for children in foster care to better meet their physical and emotional needs. Youth in therapeutic foster care meet regularly with a therapist and a case manager who assist and monitor the young person’s progress. Therapeutic foster parents also receive continual training and 24-7 professional support.

Children in therapeutic foster care are assigned a level. There are five different levels of care with level one meaning the child or youth has very few issues or behaviors. As the levels increase so does the severity of the behaviors, with level five being the highest. The level of care determines many things, including: amount of therapy required, amount of supervision, and the financial support to foster parents for their care of the child.

Bellewood is a nonprofit agency serving abused and neglected children in Kentucky since 1849. With regional offices in Bowling Green, Lexington, Louisville, Owensboro and Paducah, Bellewood’s care reaches across the state.