Foster Care
Foster Care
The primary responsibility of Licking County Job and Family Services (LCJFS), Children Services is to keep families together. However when children’s needs for physical, emotional, and social growth are not being met, LCJFS Children Services may intervene and the children may have to be placed with a foster family. Foster families work with LCJFS Children Services to ensure the children’s needs are being met while the child’s family takes the necessary steps to ensure the child’s safety and wellbeing. Foster care is intended as a temporary situation. The primary goal of foster care is to reunite families or ensure the child will leave foster care for a permanent placement.
Foster parents are needed to provide temporary homes and care for children who are unable to live in their own homes due to substantial risk of abuse or neglect. Foster children range in age from birth to 18 and in some cases up to the age of 21.
Foster parents serve an important role in each child’s life. There continues to be a need for additional foster parents in Licking County. Too often children have to be placed in a foster home outside of Licking County, making it increasingly difficult for social workers to provide services to the child, foster family, and birth family. Licking County foster children are placed only in homes certified by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Foster Parent Eligibility Requirements
If you have specific questions regarding foster parenting in Licking County, please call our foster care coordinators at 740-670-8725 or email Foster_LCJFS@jfs.ohio.gov.
General Requirements
You may apply to become a licensed foster parent through Licking County JFS if you:
Are at least 18 years of age.
Single or married, with no change in marital status for at least one year.
Able to provide proof of sufficient income to meet the needs of the household.
Complete BCII, FBI, and Children Services background checks with no prohibited offenses.
Ensure children are able to attend all scheduled appointments and visitations.
Provide a safe, clean, and healthy home for a child.
Complete 36 hours of preservice training.
Training Information
Prior to applying to become a foster or adoptive parent through Licking County JFS, families must complete preservice training as developed by the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program plus an additional 3 hour training provided by the Licking County foster care program staff.
We provide preservice training 3 times a year. Training classes are on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. at OhioMeansJobs | Licking County, 998 E. Main Street in Newark.
2024 Preservice Training Schedule
2024 Ongoing Training Schedule
Foster and Adoptive Parent Inquiry
Pre-Service Training Program Website
Pre-Service Training Program Guide
Approved Books for Training Hours
Approved Movies for Training Hours
Home Study
A home study consists of a series of interviews which helps to evaluate if foster parenting is right for you and your family, helps LCJFS get to know you, as well as evaluate what type of children would fit best into your family.