Each State provides its own criteria and licensing requirements as well as support services, such as monthly maintenance payments, for foster parents. For information on how to become a foster parent and what types of support services are provided for foster parents in your State, you can contact your State-sponsored foster care information line or your local child welfare agency. Toll-free phone numbers for those States that have foster care information lines are available on the website of Child Welfare Information Gateway, a service of the Children’s Bureau, at http://www.childwelfare.gov/nad/index.cfm.

If your State does not have a foster care information line, the local child welfare agency should be able to provide you with information about how to become a foster parent. Child Welfare Information Gateway has a related organizations listing that can help you locate the nearest office in your State; see  http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.cfm?rs_ID=16&rate_chno=AZ-0004E.

In most States, private agencies also provide foster care services. To find out about these agencies, contact your State Licensing Specialist. If the previous resources do not provide you with the information you need, you can also contact your State’s Foster Care Manager. Addresses and phone numbers for your State’s Foster Care Manager/Specialist and your State’s Licensing Specialist are available online in the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory on Child Welfare Information Gateway’s website at http://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/index.cfm.  (See: Contact Information for State-level Officials).