Professional (Salaried) Foster Parents

About this recommendation

Many children in institutions could be thriving in a dedicated family setting. Requirements that foster parents have a separate source of income and employment means that willing and experienced homes cannot provide the full-time care that some children need. Professional, or salaried, foster parents are an emerging answer to this challenge.

How to do this

• Develop a pilot professional foster parent program. Identify payment rates, expectations (professional foster parents should not be able to disrupt their placement for a set period of time, like six months), and from where you will recruit your initial parents. We encourage you to reach out to existing programs to learn from and model them!
• Waive income requirements for professional foster parents, because the expectation is that their job is now meeting the needs of the child in their home.
• Provide 24/7 wraparound services and other supports to professional foster parents to support and maintain the placement.

Anticipated costs and benefits

Outcome data

Washington DC's professional foster parents have achieved a placement stability rate of 95%.

Who's doing this

3 of 54 states and territories have implemented this recommendation.

• California has a very successful professional foster parent program through Uplift Human Services.
• Utah has proctor families for children with higher levels of need. These families receive additional training and supports.
• Washington DC has two professional foster parent programs: PPY (Pregnant and Parenting Youth), where the foster parents take in both the pregnant or parenting youth and their child, and SOAR (Stabilize Observe Assess and Respite), for taking children with high levels of need. They pay an annual salary plus a stipend to purchase health insurance.