About Us
StepStone Family & Youth Services of Indiana (formerly ResCare) has proudly provided quality care to youth and families in Indiana for over a decade. Our primary focus is the safety, stability, and well-being of children and all members of their families. Ideally, these goals can be achieved within the biological or identified family. However, that’s not always the case. When the child’s needs are not being met, he or she needs a foster home to provide a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment until they can return home, or have a plan for alternate permanency.
Currently, Indiana has approximately 14,000 youth in foster care. There is a constant need for caring, qualified foster homes for these children. Becoming a foster parent has a strong impact on the youth in care, their biological family, and the community by providing safety and stability and promoting well-being and the opportunity for growth and achievement. Becoming a foster parent truly does change lives!
As a Licensed Child Placing Agency, we provide support for both foster families and foster youth throughout the licensing process. This support lasts the duration of a youth’s placement, which can be weeks, months, or even years depending on each individual situation.
StepStone has an experienced licensing team to support foster families through the initial licensure process and offers free support and training as families continue to foster. Our seasoned case management team provides support to our youth, as well as our families to help them transition into placement successfully and to maximize their functioning while in the foster home. More details about these teams can be found below.
If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent, please submit your information and a member of our team will contact you. We would love for you to join us in our mission of providing a safe, stable, and caring home for every child in need!
Becoming a Foster Parent – What is Required of You
The list below provides a brief overview of foster requirements:
- 21+ years of age
- Background checks – criminal, financial, and Dept. of Child Services
- Approximately 20 hours of specialized training. Training topics include trauma, attachment, and tools for managing challenging behaviors
- Physician’s health statement
- Willingness to work cooperatively with others
- Patience to work with challenging youth
- Environmentally safe home. This includes a minimum of 50 square feet of space and a bed is required for each child.
- Cannot have anyone in the home with a felony or misdemeanor. (If you have a previous misdemeanor, please talk with a licensing specialist to discuss the possibility of a waiver)
- Must have a stable income
- Single or in a stable relationship
- Valid drivers license, insurance, and reliable transportation
Becoming a licensed foster parent can take as few as three months. Licensing staff will work at your pace and provide assistance along the way.
Licensing Team
The foster parent licensing process can seem overwhelming but rest assured that you will have an experienced licensing specialist for support every step of the way. The team supports new and existing foster parents in the following ways:
- Linking to community resources to support the family
- Provide initial and ongoing training regarding child development and managing challenging behaviors
- Additional relevant training at no cost
- Manage foster parent licenses and provide support with annuals and re-licensures
- Access to our community-based services to support the foster parents (home-based therapy and/or casework)
Click for information about the licensing process
Case Management
Our foster parents receive a supportive case management team. Help is always available when needed.
The case management team provides the following services:
- Case managers are available 24/7 to support the foster youth and the family with whom they are placed
- Individualized, strength-based and trauma-informed case management to help ensure the success of the child and placement
- Access to our quality community-based services to support the foster youth and his/her/their biological and /or foster families (home-based casework, home-based therapy, and supervised visitation)
- Linking to community resources
- Provide support for the youth and family with school, court, etc.
We license foster homes in 14 counties in Indiana!
Find an Indiana location near you
