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UCAN Foster

UCAN's Foster Care Program

Here for you every step of the way.

For more than 156 years UCAN has worked toward the vision that youth who suffer trauma can become our future leaders. Our Foster Care program is a key component to serving these youth. We are currently seeking foster parents who can provide quality care to a child or youth. UCAN is here to help you navigate the process of becoming a foster parent.

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How We Help

  • Application assistance
  • Continuum of care
  • Foster parent advocacy
  • Mentorship & assistance
  • Therapeutic interventions
  • Ongoing training
  • Support groups

How To Get Involved

Working with pregnant or parenting youth is a challenging yet rewarding opportunity. Mentoring is a major part of the role foster parents play in this program. Open your home - and heart – to provide a safe and nurturing environment to a young family and support a young parent in their development, which in itself is rewarding.

Foster parents give children family centered and supportive care and an opportunity to heal from the trauma they experienced earlier in life. At the same time, foster parents support and encourage biological parents in their efforts to demonstrate that their children can be safely returned to their families. Traditional foster parents care for children with fewer emotional, physical or behavioral issues. These foster parents help a child adjust to the foster care system while offering support and helping them find peace in their upside down world.

Specialized foster care is a unique program dedicated to providing stability in the lives of children and youth with challenging problems that might include behavioral, emotional, physical and mental challenges. These parents provide intensive, individualized therapeutic supervision.

UCAN provides care for youth with multiple needs, including mental health, developmental and medical conditions that require intensive supervision and treatment. Foster parents work closely with a treatment team to provide the most home-like care possible for youth who would otherwise be in a higher level of care.

What To Expect

Illinois sets basic requirements for individuals or families who want to become foster parents. Most importantly, UCAN seeks foster parents who can make the commitment to provide quality care to a child or youth. UCAN ensures that foster parents are best suited for the children we place in their homes according to these basic guidelines:

  • You must be at least 23 years old
  • You may be single or married
  • You must have sufficient household income to care for a child
  • The state provides a stipend to you for each youth
  • You must be in good physical and mental health
  • You must be a stable, responsible, law-abiding citizen (people with convictions, but not a felony conviction, can apply)

Demarcus Collins: Foster Parent, Role Model

As a foster parent for the past dozen years to a total of 10 young African-American males, Demarcus Collins dismantles any number of stereotypes about who a foster parent is and what they should look like.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is foster care?

What is foster care?

Foster care is a temporary safe haven for children because they have been exposed to or directly experienced abuse or neglect. DCFS and UCAN work with families to reunite them if possible.

What kinds of children need foster homes the most?

What kinds of children need foster homes the most?

• Children with special needs ages birth to 21 years

• Children with special medical needs

• Adolescents

• Youth who self-identify as LGBTQIA+

• Children from UCAN’s continuum of care

How will a child be matched with my family?

How will a child be matched with my family?

You can express a preference on the age and gender of the child that you think will best match your family circumstances and skills. UCAN does its best to find placements for children who are a good fit for both the child and the foster family.

How many foster children can we welcome into our home?

How many foster children can we welcome into our home?

That depends on factors such as your ability, your schedule, how many other children live in the home and how much room you have in your home. The maximum number is set by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Whether you rent or own, you will need to provide an adequate space for a child that includes a bed or crib, a closet, a dresser, storage space and some level of privacy.

What kind of support will we receive?

What kind of support will we receive?

• Financial assistance; foster parents receive a monthly board payment to cover the child’s food, clothing, and personal allowance. The amount is based on the child’s age and specialized needs.

• Each child receives a medical card from the State for payment of all necessary medical care.

• Children in foster care may need to change schools. The child’s caseworker will work with you and the school throughout the process for a smooth transition.

• Foster parents have access to a wide range of supports and services from UCAN, including case management support, licensing support, therapy support, foster parent training and support groups. They can also receive support from external, community-based providers.

Are there different types of foster care or foster parents?

Are there different types of foster care or foster parents?

Sometimes children who have experienced abuse or neglect need more intense services and the foster family must possess additional skills to meet the individual needs of that child. UCAN has specialized and treatment foster care programs. Foster parents are trained to meet the special needs of these children with the support of the child’s team. These foster families receive additional payment, resources and training.

Can we take a child in foster care on vacation with us?

Can we take a child in foster care on vacation with us?

In most cases, yes. It is important to wrap the children into the full family experience. If it involves out of state travel, you will need to contact the caseworker in advance.

Do a child's birth parents visit him or her?

Do a child's birth parents visit him or her?

In most cases, yes. In fact, visits between parents and children are an essential part of the effort to reunite families. Visits go a long way in helping the child work through the emotional trauma of being separated from their family. The child’s caseworker has the responsibility to plan and arrange supervision for the visits. Foster parents are needed to assist with transportation of the child to visits with parents and siblings.

Can we ever adopt a child through foster care?

Can we ever adopt a child through foster care?

The first goal is to reunite the children in foster care with their families when that is possible. However, if the child who has been in your home for some time and becomes available for adoption, you can discuss your interest in adoption with the caseworker and child, if clinically and age appropriate.

Not quite ready to foster? Here are some other ways to support our mission.

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