Choosing the Right Foster Care Agency in Wisconsin
Becoming a foster parent starts with one simple step: asking questions.
And one of the most important questions is this: Who is going to support you once a child is placed in your home?
Because that answer will shape your entire experience.
What to Consider Before Becoming a Foster Parent
If you’re thinking about becoming a Wisconsin foster parent, one of the first steps is understanding what kind of fostering is the right fit for your home.
Every foster family is different, and the children in care have a wide range of needs. Taking time to think through your preferences will help determine the type of placements and the level of support you’ll need throughout your journey.
What ages are you open to fostering?
Are you willing to care for sibling groups?
Are you open to children with trauma or behavioral needs?
Would you consider children with autism?
At CCR, we work with individuals and families living in counties across Wisconsin who want to foster children and teens with higher levels of need, including sibling groups and youth with trauma histories. We rarely need homes for babies and toddlers, unless they are part of sibling groups.
The Process Should Feel Clear, Not Complicated
Getting a foster care license in Wisconsin includes some core steps: background checks, home visits, references, training, and paperwork.
It’s not supposed to feel overwhelming. You should feel guided, prepared, and supported from the very beginning. If communication is slow or unclear early on, that usually doesn’t improve later.
When you contact CCR, your first conversation will be with Jane. She’ll put you at ease, answer your questions, and walk you through things you may not even know to ask.
Her goal is simple: to help you understand what fostering could look like for you and your family.
What Makes CCR Different
CCR is a treatment-level foster care agency. That means support isn’t occasional, it’s consistent and built in.
When you foster with CCR, you can expect:
Weekly, in-home visits at your kitchen table
Ongoing communication and quick response times
24/7 on-call support when you need us most
Experienced case managers with advanced training
A team that knows you and shows up
This level of support allows foster parents to stay committed, and helps children stay in one home where they can begin to heal.
Support Is Not Optional
Foster parenting is challenging. There’s no way around that.
Without consistent support, it becomes overwhelming. Placements disrupt. Kids move. Trauma builds.
That’s why CCR is structured the way it is.
We don’t step in occasionally, we stay involved, every week, sometimes every day, because that’s what it takes.
What It Feels Like to Foster With CCR
You should never feel like you’re doing this alone.
At CCR, you’re part of a team that shows up, follows through, and stays consistent, for you and for the kids in your home.
Because when foster parents feel supported, they keep going. And when they keep going, kids have the chance to stay, stabilize, and heal.
Take the First Step
If you’re thinking about becoming a foster parent, start by having a conversation with Jane.
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You just need the right support behind you from step one.
Learn more about fostering with CCR by exploring our website.
Or call and talk with Jane directly, she’ll answer your questions, and walk you through it, no pressure.
Teen in Wisconsin Foster Care Ready for Stability
Looking for a foster home with stability and acceptance
Eli is 13 years old and needs a Wisconsinfoster home where things don’t change every few months. Years of instability have taught him to be careful with trust. He watches first, listens closely, and waits to see if adults are really going to stay.
Or if they, too, will abandon him.
Understanding anger in teens in foster care
Eli carries a lot of anger from the challenges he’s faced. When he’s overwhelmed or feels misunderstood, that anger can come out in unhealthy ways like yelling, shutting down, or testing limits.
The important thing to know? Eli can calm down. With time, space, and a calm adult who doesn’t escalate the moment, he can regulate and reconnect. He will do best with qualified foster parents who understand that anger is a stress response, not a character flaw.
A foster home that provides predictability
Big chaos, loud homes, or constant changes can overwhelm Eli. He doesn’t respond well to lectures or punishment; he needs patience, clear boundaries, and adults who stay steady even when he can’t. This is where previous foster homes have failed him.
He responds best to calm, predictable routines, including work and family schedules. After school predictability is essential. Additionally, safe outlets like building, drawing, or spending time with family pets can help him regulate his emotions.
When he feels heard and respected, he begins to trust that adults will really be there for him. If not, his emotions can escalate.
School can also be challenging. Eli has ADHD and significant trauma in his past, which makes focusing and staying organized difficult. He receives school support and benefits most from encouragement and consistency rather than pressure. He is below grade level in most areas, particularly reading.
He requires a foster family that will strongly advocate for his education. Spending time reading at home will be important.
Supporting Eli through therapy and reunification
Eli is actively working through big emotions in therapy and will need a foster family willing to support that work. He also has ongoing contact with his biological family, and reunification remains the goal. His foster family will play a key role in helping him feel safe and supported as he prepares for that transition.
What Eli Needs in a Foster Home
Eli would thrive in a home where:
Adults are calm, consistent, and trauma-informed
Anger is met with patience, not punishment
Adults are at home when he is not in school
Expectations are clear, fair, and predictable
Therapy and school supports are encouraged
There are no younger children in the home
Fostering a teen like Eli isn’t about fixing him. It’s about holding steady when things get hard, staying regulated when he can’t, and showing him that safe adults don’t disappear.
If you’re interested in learning more about fostering teens or becoming a foster parent with CCR, we’re here when you’re ready to take the first step.
All identifying information has been changed to protect the identity of children in care. This is not a child needing a home.
Keeping Older Siblings Together in Foster Care
Amber is a 12-year-old girl who entered foster care due to neglect. She and her older brother, Deonne, 16, live with an aunt who has struggled to meet their needs. Community Care Resources is seeking a home that will accommodate both Amber and Deone.
Many youth in Wisconsin Foster Care are siblings.
Amber is very independent and often looks at her phone or reads in her room. She performs at a satisfactory academic level and has few friends at school. She enjoys playing video games and participates in a sewing club in her free time. If given the choice, she would eat a Big Mac for every meal, with mac and cheese as a close second favorite. She is not shy about expressing her dislike for vegetables.
Like many children in foster care, Amber faces food insecurity; she has been known to steal food, hide food in her room, and eat as a way to comfort herself.
Teens in foster care struggle with mental health challenges.
While Amber's strengths are evident, she also encounters challenges, particularly in managing her anger. Outbursts are common when she feels frustrated and unheard. She is easily upset when things don't go her way and will lash out verbally. She has outbursts daily. The aunt reports that Deone often successfully de-escalates a heightened situation. He has a unique way of supporting Amber.
Amber is aware of her emotional struggles and actively participates in weekly therapy, showing a willingness to grow. Support from her therapist, along with a referral for psychiatry, is a vital part of her journey toward emotional regulation.
Despite some hurdles, Amber performs well in school and has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to support her speech development. Teachers and school staff recognize her potential and work collaboratively to ensure she continues to thrive academically. Moving to a new foster home may require a new school for Amber, so she must have foster parents available to advocate for her while encouraging new relationships with peers.
Keeping siblings together in foster care promotes healing.
Deone recently got his driver's permit but has not had much road experience while living with his aunt. He is known to be shy and reserved at first but will open up when he feels comfortable. He enjoys participating in the school band, Dungeon and Dragons and watching YouTube videos.
Depression is a struggle for Deone. He spends most of his time in his room when at home. He has reportedly been silent and withdrawn for up to 3 days on several occasions. He has refused therapy in the past but recently expressed interest in speaking with a psychiatrist. He struggles with maintaining personal hygiene but has improved while residing with his aunt.
Deone does well in school, although he needs help submitting homework on time. He performs most subjects at or below grade level. He does not have an IEP.
Kids in foster care visit with their biological family.
The siblings have weekly unsupervised visits with their mother. The visits are generally positive, and the kids seem to enjoy spending time with their mother. Despite their challenges and unstable history, the siblings look forward to the visits.
Foster parents must support the goal of reunification.
A foster family must be able to work with the mother and support the permanency goal of reunification. It is preferred that a foster home accept the placement of both Deone and Amber. A nurturing environment is desired to allow both kids to get on a promising healing path. This is a long-term placement, as their mom has some difficult work ahead of her. She desperately wants to reunite with her children and is working toward that goal.
*CCR did not have a foster home available in the right location to accept Amber and Deone's placement, so the referring county continued its search. We always need more foster homes for kids of all ages. If you want to learn more about becoming a foster parent with CCR, we would love to speak with you.
All names have been changed to protect the privacy of the family.
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.
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.
Kids in Foster Care Trying to Survive Trauma
Children are in Wisconsin foster care for a wide variety of reasons. Every reason creates or stems from a traumatic experience or series of experiences. We have written many blogs about kids referred to CCR. We share as much information as we can while protecting the child's privacy. Our goal is to help prospective foster parents understand trauma and its effects on children. Sadly, we share another unimaginable story of a 12-year-old girl who needed a loving home.
Wisconsin foster care is full of kids trying to survive their trauma.
We often tell prospective foster parents to focus on a child's presenting issues and behaviors vs. the child's age. Many new foster parents that want to foster younger children discover quickly that kids can present much younger than their age. Tasha is an example of a child whose behaviors and emotions do not match her age. Although she is 12 years old, Tasha behaves like a much younger child with regular outbursts and attention-seeking behaviors. Although in sixth grade, Tasha has an IEP (Individual Education Plan) and struggles socially with peers. Her exposure to a tragic and frightening incident compounded her trauma to another level.
Tasha has a tough time when told "no" and has been known to scream profanities when angry. At 12 years old, her behaviors are more like a younger child throwing a tantrum. Door slamming and foot-stomping are commonplace. She was not disciplined by her biological parents and was provided with little structure or boundaries. A history of neglect has taken its toll on Tasha, and the only way she knows how to express herself is through heightened, unhealthy behaviors.
CCR foster parents use trauma-informed parenting tools to help kids.
The CCR clinical staff says "basic" parenting skills don't work with kids with trauma. They are right. All CCR families complete trauma-informed care training to gain the knowledge and tools needed to care for kids with trauma histories. Kids like Tasha do not respond to basic discipline tactics and logical consequences. Studies on children like Tasha show that severe deprivation or neglect: disrupts how children's brains develop and process information, thereby increasing the risk for attentional, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral disorders. Using trauma-informed parenting skills helps kids like Tasha learn, heal, and grow.
Tasha's biological father is deceased, and she lived with her mother and stepfather until late 2021. Her mother and stepfather have a long history of drug addiction and domestic violence; both were addicted to Opiates, as was her stepfather's sister Joanne. Tasha was regularly in the presence of adults using drugs. Tragically, Tasha witnessed Joanne overdose and pass away in the family's home. Her stepfather told Tasha to call the police and give false information during the overdose. When the police arrived, they found drugs accessible to Tasha and subsequently removed her from home, and she was placed in a county foster home.
County foster homes are often unable to meet the higher needs of foster children.
Tasha's foster parents gave written notice to have her removed from their home. The foster parents stated they struggled to regulate Tasha's attention-seeking behaviors and found caring for their four biological children very difficult while tending to her heightened needs. Both foster parents worked outside the home and utilized afterschool care for Tasha. She struggled in the unstructured environment. The couple believed that Tasha required additional services not currently provided, and the county agency agreed.
The case was referred to CCR in hopes of matching Tasha with a family offering a parent available to her at all times outside of school hours. The ideal foster home would not have other children living in the house to provide Tasha with much-needed one-on-one attention. In addition, an experienced foster home using trauma-informed parenting tools would be best for her.
The referring county's goal was to reunify Tasha with her family. It was anticipated that she would need a foster family to commit to at least an 18-month period. Sadly, we did not have a CCR foster home available in the right location that could meet Tasha's needs. Tasha is one of over a dozen kids near her age that we could not place this month.
Foster parents are needed in all counties for kids like Tasha.
Referrals are pouring in at CCR, and we do not have enough homes for all the children. Many are sibling groups, and a large number are over age eight. They are good kids that need more than what a basic Level 2 foster home can provide. They need treatment services to address their trauma and foster parents willing to learn about trauma-informed parenting.
Tasha is a perfect example of why CCR requires all foster parents to have a flexible schedule with a parent available when kids are not in school. Kids with significant trauma histories need a structured, stable home environment utilizing trauma-informed care parenting tools. They have difficulty succeeding in daycare, afterschool programs, and summer camps. We
Our experienced team is dedicated to foster parents and kids to ensure foster parents feel supported and kids have ample opportunities to heal.
All identifying information are altered to protect the privacy of children.
Wisconsin Foster Parent Says Goodbye to Boy
Before I became a foster parent I didn't give much thought to saying goodbye to the foster children I would love and care for. Although it is the obvious, inevitable result of being a foster parent, it wasn't something I focused on. Unless you are able to adopt from foster care, which many foster parents in Wisconsin do, you will experience "saying goodbye". There is no preparing for it, although our foster agency tried. We talked about it during foster care training classes, but I couldn't have ever been prepared for the gut-wrenching bag of emotions. If only I had known, it would all be temporary. Very temporary!
Before I get into details, let me be clear that I did survive and so will you. I promise. The first hole in your heart will heal as will all the others. You will discover that your heart is big for a beautiful reason, and it might not be the reason you think. It took one boy to teach me what the reason was for me.
Being a foster parent and letting go of the kids I loved, changed me.
I truly believe that I am a better woman, wife, mom, daughter, and friend because of the experience of loving and letting go. Being vulnerable to the heartache of letting go of kids you love takes strength, resilience, and courage. It is through these vulnerabilities that we as foster parents are able to love our foster kids with no agenda, expecting nothing in return.
I guess I just accepted it as fact. The saying goodbye part that is. I knew the difficult day would come eventually with our first placement and the emotional roller coaster leading up to that day was difficult. Perhaps as foster parents, we bury ourselves in the loving, healing, and growth taking place. Maybe, we focus on the journey one day at a time to protect ourselves from the inevitable or maybe it is just instinctive to push it to the side until it happens. But it is going to happen.
Foster care brings an array of new experiences and emotions.
I had never lost a loved one or family member. I had several miscarriages but had not yet said a final goodbye to someone I truly loved. In hindsight, maybe my inexperience or naivety protected me from anticipating saying goodbye. The agency notified us, he would leave at the end of the month. I decided to offer mom and baby extra visits during the time remaining. I began to meet with her 2-3 times a week. Just the three of us, or sometimes my kids would come along, we met in public parks and fast-food restaurants, to help facilitate a smooth transition back home. I wanted her to know her son and I wanted him to know her too.
Court dates were set and our caseworker kept us informed of timelines. I will admit, my thoughts weren't always pleasant. It wasn't fair! The system was broken! He should not be going home! STOP, WAIT... Like so many things in life, the situation isn't always what you think AND you will never win a battle of love with negative thoughts like those.
Friends and family, even strangers told me:
"You will be okay."
"Look how much you helped him."
"You'll get another foster child to help." (yep, that one).
Until the day it happened to me and my family I could never have imagined the heartbreak. What was to come would be even more unimaginable.
The judge ordered he be moved to the home of a relative.
Family members were approved to care for him and he would soon live with family and his mom, with supervision while with her son. The supervised living situation would last for at least 6 months until a judge determined it safe he be returned to mom permanently. Not knowing the family, we were nervous about the transition back home. Would he be afraid, confused, and would he wonder where we went?
My children skipped school the day he left and my husband took the day off work.
His bags were packed, he was wearing an orange shirt (his best color), and we took dozens of "last photos". Tears, hugs, and kisses were plentiful. Nearly a year had passed since he arrived. He came to us after a hospital stay. At just 5 months old, he had survived shaken baby syndrome. It was months before the Neurosurgeon would place him in the 15th percentile of shaken babies with a specific hematoma that survives without brain damage. He was a miracle.
I drove with him in the backseat, one last car ride together, the caseworker leading the way in her car ahead of me. I was sick to my stomach. The 30-minute drive felt like hours. My eyes welled with tears as I tried to keep my emotions together as best I could, knowing that this indeed was a happy, joyous day for him, his mother, and their entire family.
I remember walking up the steps of the split-level home, holding him tightly I wondered; Will they hate me? Will they ask me to leave immediately? The smell of home cooking was thick in the air. Relatives were seated around the room, watching with curiosity, and friendly hellos were exchanged. I understood not one word spoken that day but I clearly remember feeling the anticipation, nervousness, and pure joy and excitement that filled the house. Their baby boy was HOME.
She made eye contact and shook my hand then I handed her the son she had lost nearly a year ago.
My throat tightened and a hole immediately formed in my heart. I tried to imagine what her heart was feeling. She had been separated from her son for 2/3 of his life. His injuries would be proven in court to be a terrible accident but the guilt she wore was palpable. I wanted desperately for her to feel the love I had for her son. I wanted each of them to believe that we loved him in her absence because that is why we chose to become foster parents. We gave him all we could so he could prosper later in her loving care.
Nobody told me, so I am telling you now: Goodbye is not always forever.
After nearly two hours in the home that day, I left alone. I expressed myself as best as I could, through the translation of the caseworker, that we loved him without agenda. I wished her the best life and hugged her goodbye. Our journey had ended. I kissed him on the top of the head as he stood at the coffee table, I could not breathe.
As I made my way down the stairs to the front door, I glanced to my right and was at eye level with him. Holding his little juice cup he looked at me as if to say:
It's okay mommy, you can go now.
I closed the door and held my breath as I walked to the car. Once inside I let out the cry I had been holding all day. I looked up through the windshield to see him in the window, hands on the glass. His mom was at his side encouraging him to wave.
The next several days were very difficult. Sadness filled my heart and sudden bouts of tears would come unexpectedly. In my mind, I knew he was where he belonged, with his family, but my heart would need some time. There was a void in the house and I wasn't sure I could ever put my family through that heartache again. AND THEN...
Two weeks later we received a call that would change everything!
It was his uncle asking if we would like to visit the baby. Elated for the opportunity, we scheduled a date. We had no idea that cold Saturday afternoon, that the year-long journey we thought had ended was to be resurrected. The trajectory of a new journey would be fierce and more life-changing than the previous one. The visit would be the first of dozens of family gatherings and celebrations during which we would laugh our way through language barriers and cultural differences. Trust was earned, love grew, and our families expanded.
Much has happened over the last 14 years that shall remain our personal story and journey. Those who know my family well and have been witness to our journey say it is a movie script in the making. We shrug and say it's just how it was meant to be. We were put together for reasons much bigger than we will ever understand.
Our lives continue to be enriched by this amazing young man, his devoted, loving mother, and their entire extended family. My husband remains a loyal father figure, I am trusted and loved as Grandma (a young one), and my children are regarded as his older siblings. We love him like our own and cannot imagine life without him. He excels in school and is a very respectful young man with the enormous promise of a very bright future.
By now you may be wondering about that heartache. Had things not turned out as they did, would we have fostered again? Would I put my family through it? ABSOLUTELY.
We went on to foster nearly 20 children over a 7+ year period. Our hearts were broken a few more times but more importantly, we helped many kids heal and grow. We experienced joyous occasions with adoptive parents, celebrated birth parents reunification, and watched our own children blossom through all the experiences.
About the holes in the heart I spoke of earlier, well, I truly believe those holes were meant to hold all the wonderful memories each child gave us.
This author wishes to be anonymous and CCR is grateful that we can share her story.
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!
We would be very happy to spend time speaking with you and helping you explore becoming a foster parent.
Foster Care Information You Deserve
Are you searching for foster care information? Are you ready to take the first step to become a foster parent but don't know where to begin? No worries, the staff at CCR are ready to help you explore Wisconsin foster care. We understand that websites are often overwhelming and group information sessions can feel impersonal. That is why we do things a little differently than most foster care agencies. We want to spend as much time as we can getting to know you and allowing you to learn about us. Something that hasn't changed since CCR began.
A foster care agency you can trust.
One of the most important things we can do as an agency is proving to you who we are. Should you decide to become a foster parent, you will become part of our larger family and we want you to trust and depend on us. We are an agency of integrity and professionalism. We say what we mean and mean what we say. We value and retain our employees like no other agency in the state and our foster parents continue to serve children for years beyond state norms.
We want to take time with you as you explore how to become a foster parent so you can make the best possible decision for you and your family and hopefully become a wonderful part of ours.
The way in which we communicate about foster care hasn't changed much in 30 years.
Community Care Resources began 30 years ago by a man that tirelessly went from door to door in towns across Wisconsin sharing information about the need for more foster parents with anyone that would listen. He talked his way into many homes, sitting at kitchen tables talking foster care over a cup of coffee. He educated folks about the hundreds of children in foster care that needed more than a loving home. Kids that might only have a chance at a successful future if they were provided services to address their trauma.
The agency started small and slow but has since grown into one of the largest private foster agencies in the state of Wisconsin. While many things have changed over the years, one thing hasn't changed at all. Honest, transparent communication. It is how CCR began and how it has succeeded over the years.
Getting the foster care information you need isn't always easy.
We understand that getting foster care information from some agencies is difficult and frustrating. A phone call goes unanswered, a voicemail is ignored, or the information packet promised never arrives in your mailbox. We also understand that you are ready for the information now, not next week or at an information session next month.
Communication happens in a timely manner at CCR. A staff person will promptly answer your call, respond to an email, or reply to a Facebook message. Our focus is on you from the moment you first contact us looking for foster care information. Waiting is not in our vernacular.
Although there is an abundance of great information on our website, we realize that you won't find some of the finer details you might require. We recognize that not everyone wants to navigate through page after page to get what they are looking for. That is why we encourage you to call us. Imagine when you call that we are sitting with you, in your home, as Dan did those 30 years ago when he went door to door.
Exploring foster care is personal and unique for everyone.
Imagine a friend, answering your questions, giving you details, and making you feel comfortable from the first hello. We believe that a one on one, honest, phone conversation is the best way to get you the foster care information you're looking for. It is why we rarely offer large group foster care information sessions or foster care orientations. From the very first phone call, the journey of a foster parent is personal. Your family history, dynamics, interests, and concerns are different from anyone else and are often best addressed individually and privately.
Speak with a retired foster mom and get real about fostering kids with trauma.
If you are feeling apprehensive about calling because you want to avoid feeling pressured, judged, or rushed, erase those worries from your mind immediately. You can trust our recruitment adviser to give you the honest information you need in a relaxed, casual manner. If you don't know what to ask or how to begin, that is okay. Our adviser will walk you through it. As a retired foster mom of 20+ kids, she has been where you are. She remembers what it is like to explore foster care and she feels your passion, kindness, and even your inner struggle as you dive deep into your decision to become a foster parent.
Get pre-qualified to provide foster care immediately
It is our job to make sure foster care is a good fit for you and you are a good fit for foster care.
If you are interested in gathering information it will also be important to know if you qualify to be a foster parent. Your call will begin with our adviser asking a few questions to get to know some basic things about you such as:
What age group are you interested in? Would you consider siblings?
Do you work full-time, if so, do you have a flexible schedule?
Do you have the bedroom space for foster kids?
Are there other children living in your home now?
Do you have a support system nearby able to help when necessary?
Now a great conversation can happen! You can feel comfortable asking anything you like about fostering, the process, the kids in our care, support services, and more. Find answers to our most frequently asked foster care questions here.
As we mentioned earlier, we want to provide you with as much time as possible to get the information you are looking for. A phone call may be as short as 20 minutes or depending on how the conversation goes up to 45 minutes. We are in no hurry to hang up. We welcome your questions and will talk you through your concerns.
Your first interaction with a foster agency will be a strong indication of what your journey may be like.
No answer? No response to a voicemail or email? Have you waited weeks for someone to get back to you? If you are responding yes to any of these questions, please be cautious. Imagine trying to contact your agency during an emergency when you have children placed in your home. How will your agency respond when you need them most? How often will they visit you in the home to provide support services?
Here are some ways CCR promises to respond to you:
Weekly in-home visits
Phones are answered promptly by staff, not a recording
24/7 hotline means you speak with a case manager
Case managers respond to texts, emails and phone calls in a timely manner
Supervisors get involved before things escalate
Is what we say about communication true?
Try it. Call us and see if we answer the phone. Call our adviser and discover for yourself how honest and transparent our CCR staff is in providing information. We look forward to your call.
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.
It is a popular question many prospective foster parents ask. If you want to become a foster parent there are many things to consider before beginning the process to get a foster care license. In particular, how will your family handle the challenges, changes, and rewards? We can answer nearly all your foster care questions with certainty and clarity, however, there are some questions that need to be explored more deeply and explored on an individual basis. There are so many variables to consider when exploring how your kids will be affected, it can often be difficult to provide a straight answer. The quick and honest answer is:
Yes, your children will be impacted if you become a foster parent, in great ways!
Being a foster parent can be challenging and rewarding. Fostering treatment level kids can be more challenging and more rewarding! Foster kids come into your family with a large amount of emotional baggage that you didn't have anything to do with creating. Due to significant trauma, they will have behaviors and express their emotions in ways that you have probably never dealt with before within your own family. Fostering can sometimes feel like riding a roller coaster, with flips and turns and an occasional upside-down twist. Every day is a different day in the world of fostering and one step forward often means two steps backward. If you have kids of your own, you must recognize that you will all be learning as you go. Fostering in the best of circumstances will be very different than caring for your own children. Bringing children into your family temporarily can be disrupting and it will most certainly bring challenges to an existing family unit. On the flip side, welcoming foster children into your family will offer you and your own children some wonderful, unique experiences that the majority of families and kids will never enjoy or benefit from.
Things to expect when children enter your family
Disrupted sleep schedules; nightmares, wandering, early rising
Your own children's ability to adapt to foster kids and their behaviors will amaze you.
Before you exit this page out of overwhelming fear, let us be clear. You may experience one of the above behaviors. You may experience four of the above. You may experience none of the above behaviors. Here is where answering your original question of how fostering will affect your own kids gets murky. It is difficult to say because every single foster child is different and every one of your own children is different. Much of how your kids react will be dependent on how you react. Your ability to parent with patience, use a calming voice, listen, remain consistent, be flexible, and care for each child individually and as part of the family unit will set the tone in the home. The good news is, the required foster parent training classes you attend will give you a multitude of tools to use. In addition, a clinical case manager will visit with you in your home weekly to provide foster parent support services to you, your children and your foster children.
"It broke my heart when I realized they never really had a routine before. They didn't know why my kids were sitting at the table ready for dinner or why they brushed their teeth before bed, did homework, or why the kids went to bed before the parents. They had no concept of a schedule."
Allow your own children to adjust at their own pace
Kids will feel the impact in a variety of ways both good and bad. Welcoming a new child or sibling group into the home can be very exciting, the first few days in particular. Giving your children the freedom to feel and adjust to their own speed will benefit everyone in the family. They may need time or they may act like nothing is different at all. The majority of parents are shocked at how resilient their own kids are and how easily they adapt. Hopefully, if you are considering becoming a foster family, you have had honest discussions with your children about what might be expected. You know your kids better than anyone, their strengths and weaknesses, their abilities and what is in their heart. Be sure they know you can be trusted if they want to talk or share their feelings. We hear many stories about how amazing and welcoming kids are to their foster siblings. Kids stepping up and offering help and support is common.
"I literally cried when I saw my 14 year old son sitting in the hall teaching our foster daughter how to tie her shoes. He didn't question how she couldn't possibly know how to tie her own shoes at age 9. He just made the rabbit ears and helped her."
Your own children will have to make many adjustments no matter their ages. Some adjustments will be more difficult than others but in time, new routines will be natural.
Sharing a bedroom
Sharing a bathroom
Dinner table dynamics, seating, sharing of food
Sharing you!
Attending the same school, managing stigmas, feeling embarrassed
School bus routines, seating, and seniority
Distribution of chores and responsibilities
Helping with younger foster siblings
Meeting your expectations, being part of a foster family
Witnessing behaviors they don't understand
One of the most common things foster parents tell us is that their kids don't like being in between placements, or without foster kids in the home. Most kids will ask when another foster child or sibling group is coming and many older kids will miss the chaos of the younger kids and find they enjoyed a busy house full of craziness.
You will know in your gut if fostering is right for your kids and in the end, you will know when it's time to stop fostering
Trusting yourself is paramount! You can ask friends and family for their thoughts and opinions but you will come to realize that not everyone will think becoming a foster parent is a good idea for your own children. They may question your desire or motivation and ask "what about your own kids?". There are others in your life that will support you wholeheartedly and walk with you on your journey. The staff at CCR will tell you to trust your gut and consider your own child's personality, health, social life, school struggles or success, and many other personal things only you know. In the end,
The overwhelming majority of foster parents will tell you that fostering is the best thing they ever did for their kids!
Being a foster sibling will teach your children lessons and open their hearts in ways unimaginable. Just as it will your own. Learn how to qualify to be a foster parent with us.
Contact us today, we will have an honest discussion with you. 800-799-0450
Fostering treatment level kids requires
GET YOUR FOSTER LICENSE IN 100 DAYS! Homes for kids 10-18 are desperately needed.
