What am I expected to do as a foster parent?

In case you're curious about the logistics of being a foster parent, I wanted to lay it out here. Besides the love and care you need to give, here are the other expectations the state of Texas requires:

To Become Licensed -

• 36 hours of PRIDE training classes through the CPS office
• Fire Department Inspection
• Health Department Inspection
• Home Study completed
• Lots of paperwork (personal information, emergency plans, references, discipline policy, etc.)
• TB tests on everyone on the household
• Background checks on all adults in the household (from every state in which you have resided)

To Stay Licensed -

Annual Trainings: (all free, but usually without childcare provided)

• Behavioral Intervention
• Communicable Diseases
• Psychotropic Medications
• Trauma Training 
• Water Safety

Pet Vaccinations kept current

Every Two Years:

• CPR / First Aid Training 
• Fire Department Inspection
• Health Department Inspection

Monthly or bi-monthly placement caseworker visits/inspections with quarterly evaluations done on the home

Once a Placement has Occurred - 

• Continued monthly placement caseworker visits/inspections (to maintain minimum standards of the home)
• Monthly visits/inspections by the child's caseworker
• Monthly visits by the child's CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) worker (or similar, if applicable)
• Monthly reports
• Medical forms 
• For any doctor/dentist visit
• For any non-prescription medicine
• For any prescription medicine
• Making sure foster children are present for visits with birth family (usually weekly, in some cases, twice a month)
• Making sure foster children are present for any therapy that is scheduled (cognitive, emotional, speech, physical, etc.)
• Court appearances every 6-12 weeks, depending on schedule determined by the department and the lawyers involved, and the court's availability
• Occasional meetings with child's court-assigned lawyer
• And The Other More Ambiguous Requirements, Like...
• Keeping a relatively clean and organized home (Everyone knows having kids in your home makes this a challenge, but you at least must make the effort for appearance's sake! People are in and out of your home all of the time!)
• Ensuring their success in school / education endeavors 
• Helping foster healthy socialization and relationships
• Involving them in regular, age-appropriate extra-curricular / play activities
• Taking LOTS of pictures and documenting this time for the child's Life Book.

And most importantly...
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! :-)