Foster care is a mission field. Committed foster parents have endless opportunities to live out their faith in front of children and adults from various situations. Nurturing a hurting child is a challenge that allows the opportunity to put one's faith into action. Nurturing and encouraging a child's parent is just as challenging, but can save a family.
Foster homes are desperately needed for all ages of children and sibling groups of 3 or more children. Being separated from Mom and Dad is traumatic for children. It is equally, or more difficult, for siblings to be separated. If you have the room in your home, lots of love and patience, maybe this could be your ministry. All of the children need families who will give them unconditional love in a structured, nurturing, and spiritually healthy environment.
If you sense God asking you to consider foster parenting, please read on.
Basic Requirements:
- People of strong faith who support our mission statement
- A willingness to work cooperatively with ECFA, DCFS, and the birth family
- An ability to give unconditional love in a structured, nurturing, and spiritually healthy environment to both children and their parents
Single parents are also welcome. Single foster parenting may be challenging, but you will find a support network of concerned friends at ECFA.
As God has gifted you, please consider your part in caring
for our most valuable assets: our children and their families.
For further consideration, download our ECFA Foster Care Q & A Brochure in .pdf format. 
To view the brochure, you will need Adobe
Reader, which is available as a
free
download from Adobe's website.
ECFA offers the following services to foster parents:
- Foster parent education
- Ongoing foster parent training opportunities
- Support group information
- Trained caseworkers who provide services to you, your foster child, and the child's birth parents
- Room and board support, as well as medical assistance to meet the child's medical and dental needs (provided by the Department of Children and Family Services through ECFA)
- Employment-related day care
- Annual Fun Fair for the foster family (free lunch and games)
- Individual and team support
- Financial assistance may be available for foster families of children who become legally freed for adoption If you are interested call 630-653-6400 and ask to speak with the foster parent intake worker.
If you decide you cannot be a foster parent,
but would like to be connected with foster children,
check out our many opportunities for volunteering.