Each State requires that families providing foster care must be licensed, certified, or approved; however, licensing rules and regulations vary from State to State. Find resources and information about licensure types and requirements.
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 1,356KB) |
| Year Published | 2019 |
Becoming a Foster Parent
National Foster Parent Association
Provides an overview of the commitments of foster parenting and the steps to take to become licensed and qualified.
Foster Care Licensing
Grandfamilies State Law and Policy Resource Center
Provides summaries and links to more than 67 State citations on relative foster home licensing. It also includes a database to search bills and statutes.
Getting Approved to Foster or Adopt
AdoptUSKids
Provides information on the process of getting dual licensed, which means families applying to adopt also becoming licensed to foster.
| Series Title | State Statutes |
| Author(s) | Child Welfare Information Gateway |
| Availability | View Download (PDF - 1,593KB) |
| Year Published | 2018 |
NARA Model Foster Care Standards
National Association for Regulatory Administration (2018)
Provides comprehensive national licensing standards for a family foster home in order to set clear and practical requirements to reference and guide states in their efforts to license homes.
New Model Family Foster Home Licensing Standards: An Overview
American Bar Association (2015)
Provides comprehensive model family foster home licensing standards that consider community norms and cultural difference for States to align with in order to create a larger pool of safe and appropriate applicants to become licensed foster parents.