What to Really Expect as a Wisconsin Foster Parent?

Becoming a foster parent is one of the most compassionate and life-changing choices you can make. It’s a meaningful way to offer safety, love, and healing to a child or siblings in need. Being a CCR foster parent is a journey filled with both beauty and challenges, highs and lows. It can be unpredictable and deeply rewarding. Our team is here to walk with you every step of the way.

What to Really Expect as a Foster Parent: The Hard, the Honest, and the Beautiful

Being a foster parent is a journey filled with real challenges, emotional ups and downs, and unexpected moments—both messy and magical.

Setting realistic expectations is important if you’re considering opening your home to a child, youth, or siblings in foster care. Not picture-perfect ones. Not sugar-coated ones. But honest expectations grounded in both the hard truths and the beautiful rewards.

Here’s what you can really expect to experience as a CCR foster parent:

💥 Disruptions While Fostering Are Real

Let’s start with the honest side of things—because being prepared helps you handle them with grace.

Your routines will be shaken. That carefully balanced work/home schedule? It will need to bend (or break) to make room for therapy appointments, caseworker visits, biological visits, or simply helping a child settle in.
Meals might feel like chaos. Food insecurities are real and common. Don’t be surprised if food preferences change daily, or if mealtimes are a struggle. Some kids may hoard food out of fear, or even hide groceries in closets or under beds to feel assured food will be available.
Bathroom habits will require extra patience. You might be back to reminding someone to brush their teeth or managing accidents—even with older kids.
Sleep? What’s that? Fear, unfamiliar surroundings, or trauma responses can all interfere with a good night’s rest—for everyone.
Setbacks will come suddenly. Just when things seem to be going well, you might face unexpected regression in behavior, mood, or school performance.
Lying can be common. Many kids in care lie as a defense mechanism—not to be manipulative, but because they’ve learned not to feel safe telling the truth.
Your heart may break. These kids often carry stories heavier than any child should bear. But your heart? It will also heal—and grow stronger.

✨ The Beauty Will Break Through

Now, for the part that makes all the above worth it—those moments of pure, unfiltered beauty that remind you why you chose this path.

That moment they smile for real. When the walls start to come down and you see genuine joy instead of guarded expressions.
New friendships form. There’s pride when they tell you about a friend they made at school, often after struggling with social anxiety or fear of rejection.
They finally sleep through the night. And you breathe a sigh of relief, knowing they felt safe enough to rest.
Food becomes joy instead of fear. You’ll watch them try new foods, maybe even help cook. Stealing food from the pantry may subside because they are learning to trust that food is plentiful and available to them.
Breakthroughs in therapy. Maybe it’s a positive observation or emotion. A smile. A new coping skill. These moments are huge.
Progress at school. From improved grades to better focus, each step forward is a shared victory.
The communication barriers break down. You understand each other better. They begin to trust and start sharing. You stop guessing and start connecting.
They trust you. Slowly, and maybe silently, they begin to believe you’ll be there. That you mean what you say. That love doesn’t always leave and you aren't another adult that will disappoint them.
Healing happens. Not all at once, and not without setbacks—but it does happen. We see so much healing in our CCR foster homes. You’ll see it in how they laugh, play, ask questions, take risks, and begin to believe in themselves again.

Foster Parenting Is Not Perfect—But It’s Powerful

Foster parenting is both heavy and hopeful. It’s tear-streaked faces and belly laughs. It’s standing your ground and offering grace. It’s rebuilding trust where it was shattered—and finding, over time, that love truly does make a difference.

So no, this isn’t a smooth, glossy journey. But it is one of the most meaningful ways to change a child’s life—and your own.

If you can embrace the chaos alongside the healing, the setbacks alongside the progress, and the heartbreak alongside the hope—you’re exactly the kind of person a child in care needs!

Interested in fostering? Connect with us. Call us. We are always available to help you explore becoming a foster parent and walk with you through all of it.

Foster Parents Struggle to Meet Needs of Foster Child

"Anthony" is eight years old and is in foster care in Wisconsin. He has been in 2 foster homes. His mom is incarcerated, and his dad is not active. His older sister visits with him virtually once a week. Anthony's foster care journey is like so many others. Unstable, bouncing from home to home. We share these profiles, hoping kind-hearted people like you can better understand trauma and what kids in foster care need from foster parents to heal.

Vulnerable children need Wisconsin foster parents to commit.

support for abused children in foster care

Previous foster families said his behaviors were too much. They needed more support than their foster agencies could provide, and both families expressed Anthony's need for therapy services. Although both families shared many beautiful qualities, they could not give the boy what he needed. It should also be mentioned that both foster families worked full-time hours with little to no flexibility to meet Anthony's needs. Neither was receiving the necessary support to succeed.

Foster parents need a foster agency that provides exceptional support.

Foster parents cannot do this work alone; children like Anthony need more than a loving family. They require more than basic parenting skills to heal from trauma. Foster parents must know how to care for kids with trauma histories. Proper training is essential. County agencies that refer kids to CCR trust we have the resources, training, support services, and staff to help kids like Anthony while supporting the families providing care.

CCR staff and families treat trauma. We help kids heal. Right now, we don't have enough foster homes.

Anthony has many beautiful qualities and characteristics. He also has numerous challenges that require more structure, consistency, and patience from foster parents.

He sleeps well, enjoys a variety of foods, and can be a charmer when not in fight-or-flight mode. He loves to play video games and enjoys playing in the bathtub. He likes to be helpful with simple meal prep and prefers to be in the company of adults. He misses his mother and asks about her frequently. He can visit with her virtually every week.

Foster children have wants and needs from foster parents.

Former foster parents reported that Anthony does okay in school for the most part. However, both expressed concerns with social skills, listening, and creating disturbances but agreed that he is interested in learning. He continues to make progress with early reading and struggles with math concepts. He is not at grade level in any subject.

Anthony is a bright, intelligent, and funny boy. He has been diagnosed with ADHD, ODD, and PTSD. He often struggles with accepting directives and consequences. He continues to work on de-escalation and coping skills when triggered. He has shown progress in many areas.

Anthony reports wanting a family that won't yell and has too many rules. "I like video games, hugs, spy stuff, and chocolate." He especially likes ramen noodles and slushies and dislikes vegetables, smelly smoke, and mean people.

Anthony needs reminders to wait his turn and give others space. He often struggles when others get more attention than he does, which causes him to act out to gain attention. Providing structure, routines, and house rules will be beneficial for Anthony.

CCR foster parents are prepared and supported to care for kids like Anthony.

Bouncing from foster home to foster home compounds a child's trauma. It isn't easy to heal and grow when moving between homes. CCR prepares foster parents to care for kids with trauma and heightened behaviors, and we provide many essential tools and resources to help kids like Anthony succeed. One of the many ways we support our families is by meeting with them weekly in their homes.

We ensure that services, therapies, and 24/7 support are in place.

We need loving homes with flexible schedules for kids like Anthony. A parent must be available for 2-3 weekly appointments and unplanned interruptions. Having a plan when kids are not in school is also essential.

Sadly, we did not have the right foster home in the right location for Anthony. In cases like this, the referring county is left scrambling to find a foster home.

Please contact us if you would like to learn more about becoming a foster parent with CCR.

What Being a Foster Parent Did For My Family

Like most Wisconsin foster parents, I could write a book about my family's experiences fostering. I would dedicate an entire chapter to how fostering affected my biological kids. Our kids were 7 and 9 when we got our foster care license. From our first placement to our last, each foster child was unique, and my kids reacted differently to each one. We shared some wonderful and trying times with the kids that came and went.

How will being a foster parent affect your family?

We were a busy family. We ran around town to activities and sports and spent time with extended family on weekends. My husband worked long hours, and I had a part-time job in a shop in town. Our world was happy and full. So why did we feel the urge to foster? It wasn't that something was missing; it was more of a feeling that we needed to share what we had been given. But how would fostering affect our kids' lives? Were we being selfish?

After caring for a few single kids, we fell into a pattern of sibling groups—usually 2 or 3, most under age eight. We enjoyed being a big family. It worked for us. Because many of the kids we cared for had been so neglected, they struggled with a variety of trauma. It took some time for our kids to understand that, but as we watched the foster kids grow, we saw our children changing and growing as well.

The decision to become foster parents was ours, not theirs.

Our son and daughter developed compassion and empathy beyond most kids their age. They started to recognize similarities with most of the kids. Food insecurities, lack of social cues and boundaries, triggers, and heightened emotions for what seemed like small or unimportant things. Their ability to redirect the little ones was impressive. The patience they both had was an example to me and my husband. We saw sides of our kids that may have never developed had we not fostered.

School staff and our close friends took note of our kid's participation in the little kids' lives. Compliments about our two kids became commonplace. We were so proud of them both. All the while, we made sure not to place too much responsibility on our kids. We constantly reminded ourselves they did not choose to foster; we did. In addition, we always let our kids have a vote of sorts in accepting a new placement. It was important they felt heard. Their opinion mattered.

They played with the kids, shared a snack, and read them a story occasionally, but we did not expect it from them. We appreciated them and all they were able to give throughout the years. We made a point to keep our relationships with them as "normal" as possible despite the chaos, appointments, and time constraints. It was challenging, but we found time for them. That was important for all of us.

Trust your children to let you know how they feel about fostering.

As our son and daughter got older, sports became competitive and all-consuming. The oldest was getting his license, and friends became more important. Like most teens, they were demonstrating annoyance with things they used to like and tolerate. Homework was more time-consuming, and both kids desired some privacy.

Along the way, if someone needed a break, we acknowledged it. If one of the kids was struggling after a difficult goodbye, we allowed time for healing. We rarely asked our kids to babysit; in hindsight, we should have taken advantage of respite care more often. A regular break would have been good for all of us. We loved fostering with all our hearts, but things were changing for our kids.

They certainly had favorite kids over the years and favorite sayings that they still reference today. There are also memories of their least favorite, the one they both struggled to like. That's okay, too. Overall, their memories are happy, and both kids are glad for the unique experience.

We made a promise to ourselves before we got our foster care license.

The key to our fostering success was an agreement between me and my husband before we got our foster license. We promised to be honest with each other if and when we saw things changing for our biological kids. We agreed we would stop fostering when we believed it was at the expense of one or both of our children.

After eight years and 19 foster kids, it was time.

After honest discussions, we agreed to let our license expire. We had two little girls then, and they were to move to a pre-adopt home, so the timing was right. We were at peace with our decision. We were grateful for the opportunities to love kids, help them learn, and feel safe. We cherish the time spent with our children, making other kids' worlds a little bit better. We were happy that we presented foster care to our community in a light they had not known before.

Was fostering all butterflies and rainbows? Of course not. Was it worth it, and would I recommend it to others? Absolutely! My children learned valuable life lessons that most kids would never have the opportunity to learn. They love in new ways, are more compassionate, think of others first, and have great empathy for those hurting.

Remember this about fostering.

Being a foster parent can be for as long or as short as you want it to be. It is your journey, and a good foster agency will support you and your family. I am glad we took the leap when we did, and I'm also grateful we recognized when it was time to stop. We still keep in touch with a few kids, all in their teens and 20s. I encourage anyone thinking of fostering to do it. There will never be a perfect time, but the time spent fostering will be like nothing you've ever done.

Submitted by a retired foster parent and friend of CCR.

Wisconsin Foster Care Explained

There are important choices when considering becoming a foster parent in Wisconsin. Should you get a foster care license with a private agency or with your county foster agency? There are many differences to understand. Too many people choose "local," which is not always the best choice for everyone. Do your homework and choose an agency to support you and the foster children in your home 24/7.

Wisconsin foster parents have choices.

Wisconsin foster parents are NOT bound by county. No matter what Wisconsin county you reside in, you can choose to work with a private agency. CCR currently has foster homes in 35 counties, and each of our homes receives an abundance of support services rarely found with other agencies. Our priority is to help Wisconsin children from all counties heal from trauma, and we believe that can only be achieved through quality statewide support services.

Listen to Mary Simon explain how we do that:

Kids are in Wisconsin foster care for a variety of reasons.

Foster children come into care for hundreds of reasons and one type of agency cannot serve the needs of every child effectively and successfully. Community Care Resources serves children with higher emotional and behavioral needs due to childhood trauma. CCR receives approximately 40 referrals each month from counties across Wisconsin for reasons such as:

A child requires a foster home trained in trauma-informed care.
Keeping a sibling group of 2, 3, 4, or more together rather than separate.
Therapy and support services are required to begin healing effectively from past traumas.
Highly educated case managers are required to provide clinical services.
A foster home with an at-home parent to provide higher supervision.
An experienced parent to provide medical or emotional care.

10-year CCR veteran, Stephanie, describes what she has witnessed:

20% of kids in Wisconsin foster care are placed with private foster agencies.

Over 1,300 kids in Wisconsin are placed in a treatment-level foster home. A legitimate question might be: How many kids would benefit from a treatment home vs. a county home? How many additional foster kids could get the help they need to heal from past traumas or remain with their brothers and sisters? Unfortunately, there are no available statistics to answer these questions. However, it may be safe to assume that the number is significant.

Remember why kids often bounce from foster home to foster home. Foster parents are not fully supported, kids are not receiving necessary services to address their needs, proper trauma-informed care training is not required, all leaving foster parents overwhelmed and on a road to frustration and burnout.

Most Wisconsin county agencies do not have the resources to provide the necessary support to kids and foster parents. It takes a team of highly qualified professionals with time and resources. Although some larger counties do have children in very qualified treatment foster homes, the majority of counties do not offer this higher level of care. Unfortunately, many kids remain in a basic, level 2 county home where needs can go unmet. This is not the fault of foster parents, yet a lack of available support services can mean parents and children are often left to navigate on their own.

Support services enable foster parents to succeed.

Even the best foster parents cannot foster alone. A team approach is required. When a foster parent is neglected, feeling unsupported, or not respected, it is cause for concern. CCR receives calls every week from licensed foster parents from all over the state of Wisconsin interested in transferring agencies. The reason why is always the same. Lack of support!

Promises of support must be kept if a foster parent is to be successful. Working as a team and supporting each other is an agency strength at CCR.

10-year veteran Jamie explains how we do it.

An abundance of foster parent training means more successful outcomes.

CCR foster parents are required to complete 30 hours of classroom training prior to getting a foster license. The majority of this training is trauma-informed care focused and is taught by a team of experienced, long-time CCR staff. Training is designed to give foster parents the tools and skills to care for children with trauma histories.

CCR offers quarterly training sessions in numerous cities around the state of Wisconsin. Continuous training allows foster parents to learn from staff and each other on a variety of subjects related to fostering children with trauma and/or larger sibling groups. Learning from professionals, gaining access to new resources, and staying informed on new practices are important to teamwork and helping children heal.

Goals are set for every child in care in an effort to heal from past traumas.

Every child placed in a CCR foster home has an individualized treatment plan. The plan is designed to address a child's past traumas, current behaviors and emotions due to trauma, and set measurable, achievable goals towards healing. Working on the plan is a team effort. Foster parents, caseworkers, therapists, and county staff are all part of the healing process. When goals are attained, new goals are set to keep the trajectory of healing moving. Remember our goal is to help children heal so that they can succeed later in life.

We promise our foster parents many things here at CCR and we never make a promise we can't keep. The truth can be found in our foster parent retention numbers.

Of the families that leave CCR each year, LESS THAN 1% TRANSFER TO ANOTHER AGENCY!
The majority retire or have grown their family through adoption.
The average CCR foster family stays with us for 6.3 years.
The average length of current, active foster families, 9.1 years!

Please call us anytime 800-799-0450

We would be very happy to spend time speaking with you and helping you explore becoming a foster parent.

Ready to be a Foster Parent

You have made the decision and you are ready to become a foster parent. How exciting! Or perhaps, how overwhelming!

There are many steps required to get a foster care license and you will want to have an experienced foster agency walking you through the process. An agency that is willing to explain the details, hold your hand, and guide with patience. Foster parent reviews are plentiful on social media, be sure to take advantage and read what people have to say. It is very important that you feel welcomed and appreciated during your very first inquiry. A key point to remember is: The first interaction you have with an agency will be very telling of how your overall experience will be when you are caring for foster children in your home. Here is what we mean by that:

When making your first call, you should expect to speak with someone immediately or get a return call promptly, within hours. Your inquiry should be met with gratitude and full transparency along with detailed answers to ALL of your questions. There are many major topics that should be talked about at length. If you are simply sent an application or told to attend a group orientation meeting, you may want to reconsider moving forward with that agency. If a foster agency doesn't have time for you when you call to learn more, chances are they won't have time for you when children are placed in your home and you need their support at 10 pm. The first interaction will be very telling of how you will be treated after getting a foster care license.

The first person you will speak with at CCR is a former foster mom.

Who better to explain the details than someone who has lived it. That is what we thought when we hired her! Speaking with someone with first-hand knowledge of foster parenting is a valuable first step. Speaking with someone who has cared for kids with trauma is invaluable. Our recruitment adviser isn't paid to talk you into fostering nor to convince you to join our family instead of another agency. Her job is to give you the facts about treatment foster care and what you can expect on your journey as a foster parent to kids with a variety of trauma.

We want you to be comfortable and feel welcomed during your first contact.

We understand that you might not know what to ask about fostering. No worries. A wide array of topics will be discussed to give you a detailed picture of fostering with us. Here are just a few of the areas we will discuss with you:

Treatment foster care; what it is, how is serves kids and families.
The children; ages, siblings, needs, placements...
Staff; who we are, our experience, dedication, locations...
Stipends; how you are reimbursed, medical coverage, appointments...
Steps to get a license; training; home visits, paperwork, timing...

Getting to know you is important.

During the first call, you will be asked some questions that allow our adviser to get a snapshot of you and what you might be interested in. The conversation is very casual and meant to provide all the information you need to move forward. In order to do that, we must ask you some basic questions to determine if you pre-qualify to be a treatment foster parent. The answers you provide to these questions give our adviser information to begin a good conversation with you about what fostering kids at the treatment level looks like. Your answers will begin to tell her if you meet the basic qualifications to be a foster parent to kids with significant trauma.

What is the age range you wish to foster?

Nearly 85% of the children referred to us by counties across Wisconsin are over the age of 5. Younger children are often part of a sibling group. If you are interested in siblings, school-age children or teens then the conversation continues. If your wish is to foster a baby, you may want to consider another agency.

We like our foster parents to have a preferred age range. For example, under 12 years old or teen girls or siblings of any age. This way we know in advance what type of placement to consider for your family.

A flexible schedule in non-negotiable when fostering treatment level children.

Do you have a flexible schedule?

Because of the wide range of needs of the children you will be caring for, it is imperative that you have a flexible schedule. Having availability before & after school as well as on school breaks and summer vacation will be a priority. It is important to remember that most foster children have come from unstable environments, usually lacking adequate parental supervision. It is important that foster parents provide consistent routines, a structured environment, and supervision. You or a spouse will be required to be available to your kids at all times.

Do you have children or other adults living in your home?

If you have children of your own living at home, rest assured we will have their best interests in mind when considering placements for your family. Therefore, there are many things to consider if you have your own children.

What are the ages and gender of your children?
Are there any characteristics that we should know about? Like ADHD, autism, speech delay, social delays, etc.
How many bedrooms do you have available for foster kids?
How many beds will be available?
Will kids be sharing a room?

These are important factors because we want to keep all kids in your home safe, r have other adults living with you, we will want to know that. Your children are your first priority and we want to make sure

Caring for foster children will demand much from you, it cannot be done alone.

Who will be your support system?

The best of parents cannot be in two places at the same time. There will be times when you will need to rely on others for help. Fostering children with significant trauma can come with a host of appointments and responsibilities. Being available to your kids 24/7 is not always possible and friends and family will be of great help during unforeseen circumstances.

It will be important to have a shortlist of people that will be supportive during your fostering journey. The day will come when you cannot get to school immediately for an urgent situation. You may have an appointment for yourself and need someone to be home to greet the kids after school. Times will arise and you must have people available to help. Having conversations with friends and family prior to becoming a foster parent is suggested. Make sure they know what you may be asking of them and be confident that you will be able to call on them with short notice.

Experience with trauma or exposure to what childhood trauma looks like is not a requirement, but it is helpful.

What do you know about childhood trauma?

Experience is certainly not necessary to become a foster parent but it is important that we ask you if you have experience with childhood trauma.

Do you know anyone who fosters?
Do you have professional or personal experience with kids living with trauma?
Do you know what trauma looks like?

Your answers to these questions provide us insight as to what should be discussed on the first phone call regarding trauma. If you grew up in foster care our conversation will be very different than topics we cover with someone who has no experience at all with trauma. One is not better or preferred over the other. It just determines how trauma is explained and how we introduce you to kids with trauma.

Trauma is ugly and can be devastating. Providing foster parents with proper education and the tools required to help children heal from trauma is one thing we do exceptionally well at CCR. Our foster parents must have the proper tools in their toolbox to be successful in providing a healing environment. We will provide foster care training throughout your fostering journey to enable you to care for kids properly and appropriately. A clinical caseworker will support you and the children in your care on a weekly basis to ensure that the child's needs are being met. We promise to be with you step by step.

The initial phone call had with our recruitment adviser should put you at ease and provide answers to all of your questions. Call with confidence knowing that you will get answers and be met with a welcoming smile over the phone line. We look forward to speaking with you.

800-799-0450 ask for Jane

3 Things to Know About Treatment Foster Care

When a child enters the Wisconsin foster care system, they are most often placed in a licensed county foster home unless placed in the home of a relative. If a child is part of a larger sibling group, they may or may not be placed in the same foster home as their siblings. Placement is dependent on available foster homes that would meet the needs of the child at the time a child enters foster care. Many county homes are not suited to care for more than one child or children with significant trauma. In part because the necessary training and support are not available to foster parents which equip them for the challenges that come with trauma. Quite often a child’s emotional, behavioral, and functional needs are not fully known upon the initial placement. It can sometimes take months for a county foster parent and/or placing foster agency to learn the depth of trauma, the significance of delays, and the full effects of a child’s abuse or neglect. When trauma is recognized, discussion of treatment foster care may begin.

When is Treatment Foster Care necessary?

After the needs of a child are determined and if the child is in need of additional care above what a county foster home can offer, the child may be referred to treatment foster agency like Community Care Resources. In the state of Wisconsin, over 20% of children in foster care are placed in treatment foster homes. Treatment foster care offers children with significant trauma a safe environment where healing can begin to take place and foster parents have the tools to properly care for children. Foster parents are highly trained in trauma-informed care and participate in the child’s individualized treatment plan. Characteristics of children in treatment foster care might include the following:

ADD/ADHD
Attachment Disorders
Cognitive Delays
Depression
Food/Eating Issues
Mental Health Issues
Self-Injurious
Sexual Awareness
Sleeping Issues
Medically Needy

Trauma Informed Care – If you want to become a foster parent for children with significant trauma, there are specific foster care qualifications that must be met. In addition to the 6-hour online training required by Wisconsin, there are 30 hours of classroom training required. The majority of Wisconsin foster agencies require this training within the first two years of getting a foster license. CCR requires this training to be complete PRIOR to issuing a foster care license. The focus of our 30-hour foundation training is trauma-informed care. Providing new foster parents with the tools to care for children with significant trauma is imperative to a successful placement. Some of the training topics covered are:

Placement/Treatment Planning
Supervision & Safety Plans
De-escalation Plans
Individualized Treatment Plans
Child Needs and Strengths
Myths & Facts of Trauma
Healthy Families
Planning for What If
School & Truancy

Visit our foster parent training calendar for upcoming training opportunities.

How are treatment foster parents supported?

Professional Support – The world of social work and child protective services is filled with high employee turnover. The opposite is true at Community Care Resources. Our Clinical Case Managers average an impressive 15 years of employment. Compare this to a national average of just over 2 years and the revolving doors in most foster care agencies and you will understand our dedication to foster parents, children, and families.

All CCR foster parents receive a weekly in-home visit by a Master's level clinician and have access to our 24/7 hotline. Each week, a Clinical Case Manager visits with foster parents to review the week's happenings, problem solve, find solutions and support the foster parent in any way needed. CCR provides the support foster parents ask for and need, NOT what we think our foster parents need. These in-home, personal visits are critical for foster parents to understand the behaviors and emotions of their foster child and provide an opportunity to express frustrations, ask questions, and get the help and support they deserve. Having a dedicated professional to lean on is why CCR foster parents are able to successfully help their foster children heal from significant trauma. Most foster children have struggled in previous placements, have bounced from house to house, been separated from siblings, or have struggled to build and maintain healthy relationships in the foster home. Most often, it is simply because foster parents lack trauma-informed care training and support services, NOT because the child is too difficult or unmanageable.

Treatment foster children require foster parents to have a flexible schedule

Matching children and foster families – The need for additional treatment foster homes in Wisconsin continues to grow at an alarming rate. As more and more children and sibling groups are referred to treatment care by their county agency of origin, there just aren’t enough homes to provide the necessary care and supervision. Over the past 20 years, it has been increasingly difficult to recruit treatment foster parents with flexible schedules. Foster parents must be available to their kids before and after school, on school breaks and over summer vacation. Many require additional supervision and require consistent weekly routines. Weekly visits and biological family visits are held during normal business hours. Medical appointments, therapy visits, continued education opportunities are also held on weekdays. For many Wisconsin households, this kind of availability isn’t possible, however, it is a foster parent requirement that CCR does not waive.

CCR staff does a thorough job of educating prospective foster parents on the rewards and challenges of the kids in our care. Some families we speak with will choose to license with their county to foster non-treatment kids not understanding that treatment level kids are prevalent in the county system. The odds that a county foster family will accept a “treatment level” child and not know it is high. The family will discover weeks or months into the placement that the child might be best served in treatment level care. An overwhelmed foster family will give written notice to have the child removed and the child bounces to yet another foster home compounding their trauma. Until the child is properly assessed, he or she will not receive the care and treatment they deserve and require to begin healing from their abuse and/or neglect. Sadly, many kids will continue to be separated from their siblings or remain in county foster care because their needs are never recognized or properly assessed.

The need for homes is great. The rewards of fostering are greater!

Foster parents are welcome to express their preferences when it comes to age, gender, behaviors, etc. CCR honors the requested preferences to help ensure successful placements. Families who choose to provide treatment care can have an enormous impact on the lives of children. They can watch children grow, heal, learn and thrive. Many can watch healing happen just by uniting siblings into one safe, healthy home. It takes a tremendous amount of patience, resilience, flexibility, humor, and love to be part of treatment foster care. CCR currently has foster families in over 30 Wisconsin counties, serving over 115 children. The need for additional foster homes is great. The rewards of being a foster parent are even greater! You can be part of the healing and offer a child a future of hope and promise. Learn how to become a foster parent in Wisconsin with CCR

Can Foster Parents Have Pets?

If you are exploring how to become a foster parent and have fur babies or farm animals, this blog is for you. Perhaps you worry about your four-legged friends sharing the home with foster kids. Pets provide acceptance without judgment and offer kids in foster care dependable relationships with little risk. Not just indoor pets. Many of our foster parents have outdoor animals and see many benefits for both kids and their animals.

Foster care is synonymous with stress.

It's no secret that pets provide unconditional support and acceptance, which many foster children have not received from family or social relationships in the past. Having a pet in the home can have a calming effect on children and often forces them to connect and engage with their foster parents and siblings more quickly than in a home without animals.

Communication and interaction may be more natural when animals are used as a buffer or a shared common interest. Pets can be a positive distraction from symptoms and upsetting experiences a child may have had before being placed in foster care. Many foster children experience stress, particularly early on in a placement. Kids can feel comfort and acceptance from a pet long before developing those feelings with their new foster family.

Foster children experience order and continuity.

Caring for a pet can give foster children a feeling of control, security, and routine. Providing kids with some responsibility in the care of animals generates a sense of order and continuity in their day-to-day activities. Caring for pet animals provides children with the experience of taking responsibility for another living being, may support the development of empathy, and has been shown to relate to more humane attitudes later in life.

Simple chores such as feeding a cat before school, cleaning a cage or stall on a weekend morning, and even brushing the family dog gives kids a feeling of responsibility. These activities can foster an attachment to pets and animals and generates feelings of respect for their new family. Foster parents tell us that caring for animals is a quick way for kids to feel they belong to a new foster family placement.

"When I first got to the Smiths, I was nervous and cried a lot. I used to bury my face into Bennie's neck and cry. He let me and never jumped off the bed."

Pets can provide emotional support.

Research from the University of Missouri-Columbia suggests that the hormonal changes that occur when humans and dogs interact could help people cope with depression and certain stress-related illnesses. In one Missouri study, scientists tested dog owners' and non-owners hormone levels. They found that people received the most benefit (through increased serotonin levels) when petting their dogs. Also, simply stroking the dog for 15-30 minutes lowered the participants’ blood pressure by 10 percent.

It is reported that dogs may help children to regulate their emotions because they can trigger and respond to a child’s attachment-related behavior. How children best benefit from being with pet animals and how often they need to interact with them to get results is something, our foster parents can speak about confidently.

"When the girls arrived, they were afraid of the goats. Little by little, I would take them out to say hello. After about three weeks, they began petting them on the head. Now feeding the goats and helping with chores is part of their routine."

Relationships with pets have an essential role.

While having pets in the home cannot cure mental illness or be a "quick fix" for children with significant trauma, there are enough evidence and testimony to suggest that it does help. Studies have found that people with pets generally reported a greater sense of control and a feeling of security and routine. More importantly, studies have found that adults and older youth with greater attachment and relationships to animals during childhood demonstrate greater empathy, confidence, and independence in adulthood.

Children in foster care often experience sleep difficulty, headaches, anxiety, social stress, lack of confidence, and attachment disorders, all of which may be helped by caring for or attaching to a family pet. Most CCR foster homes have pets or farm animals and have witnessed the healing benefits for children in their care.

Teens in Wisconsin Foster Care - Desperate for Homes

CCR is desperate for new foster parents wishing to help Wisconsin teens. More Teenagers in foster care than ever are at risk of aging out of care with no family or dependable support system. In 2022 we have seen a significant increase in the number of teens referred to CCR. Sadly, it is increasingly challenging to license new foster parents wishing to care for kids over age 12. Although CCR has an exceptional success rate in helping teens in foster care get on a road to healing and success, we don't have enough homes for most of them.

Not enough homes for 90% of teens in foster care.

CCR receives nearly 50 referrals each month from counties across Wisconsin. Most of the kids referred to us are teens, and we cannot place almost 90% of them. The lack of teen foster homes is a state-wide crisis that continues to increase. Licensing new foster parents for teens has been a struggle for many years, but the numbers are getting increasingly dismal. Less than 15% of folks contacting CCR are interested in fostering older youth. The stigma remains. The rumors are still out there. Sadly, only a tiny fraction of those licensed want to help teens.

The truth is that most experienced foster parents believe that caring for teens is often more manageable and less stressful than caring for younger children. There are dozens of testimonials here at Community Care Resources of the positive impact one adult can have on an older child. We have single foster parents, married couples, LGBT foster parents, parents in their 30's, and others in their 70's doing fantastic work with teens.

It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you might feel your limitations are; you may have precisely what a teen needs to succeed. Foster parents discover that they have an array of skills and life experiences worth sharing with a teen. The growth and healing that can happen before your eyes and the lasting impact you can have on a child's life are like no other experience.

Qualifying to foster teens is easier than one might think.

CCR foster parents represent the diversity of the state and the diversity of the young people receiving care. There is a variety of race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, and financial status. A diverse pool of available foster families helps us match kids with the people who can best meet their specific needs. To read more about teens needing homes., read our meet our foster kids blog.

Foster parents best suited to fostering teenagers:

Adults with flexible but confident and effective decision-making and follow-through skills
Capable of handling conflict and challenges in healthy ways
Willingness to provide opportunities for recreational and extra-curricular activities
Ability to dedicate time, utilize listening skills, and provide care with patience
Have some knowledge of childhood trauma
Willing to support biological family relationships when appropriate or required
Open to establishing life-long relationships in ways that support youth who age out of the system

The placement process of foster kids is a team effort led by our placement coordinator Brian Sullivan. The team works diligently to create placements that will be successful for both parents and children.

"Fostering a teen is one of the BEST things we have ever done. It was not on our radar, but we took a leap. We are so happy to have two teen sisters in our care! They are thriving, doing well in school, and have made many friends. We thank God every day for sending them to us! Jodi from Calumet County, Wisconsin

Preparing a teen for independence involves mentoring and coaching.

Helping a teen prepare for being on their own and stabilized for the next phase in their life is an exciting journey. In place of tying shoes, helping with baths and bedtime, and keeping little ones on task, foster parents teach an older child life skills. It involves structure, supervision, and acceptance. When fostering a teen, the focus is on listening, patience, and consistency. Teaching older children to be independent and preparing them for life on their own can bring numerous rewards and big successes. Any of the following should be expected.

Time management
Confidence building
Money Management
Grooming and Self-Care
Stress Management
Obtaining a Drivers License
Building Healthy Relationships
Household Cleaning and Laundry
Grocery Shopping
Higher Education Exploration
Job Searching
Apartment Finding

Teens in foster care struggle with increasing mental health concerns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide among kids ages 10-17 increased by over 70% from 2006-2016. During the height of Covid19, teen suicide and mental health concerns rose to an all-time high. In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a state of emergency concerning children's and adolescents' mental health. The pressures of social media, lack of in-person relationships, and the absence of parents and adults create toxic outcomes for teens. Complicated and severe trauma histories compound mental health disorders of adolescents in foster care. Foster parents provide the essential positive environments these kids need and crave.

To foster teens, you must be honest about your relationship skills and willingness to be helpful. We would love to speak with you about the details of fostering teen girls or boys. Please call or email us anytime, we look forward to helping you explore fostering and providing the answers to foster care questions you have.