Service Finder
Full-time care - upbringing in a foster family
Service Description
Foster carers take a foreign child, who for various reasons can no longer be brought up by his or her parents, into their family for a certain period or duration and look after and bring him or her up.
This usually takes place within the framework of help for upbringing (§ 27 Social Code VIII - SGB VIII) in full-time care (§ 33 SGB VIII) through placement by the youth welfare office.
Foster carers are carefully prepared for their task by the youth welfare office and checked for their suitability. According to § 37 SGB VIII, they have a legal right to advice from the responsible youth welfare office.
Through their commitment, foster carers make a valuable contribution to youth welfare by giving children a home, education and care. In this way, they also support their parents who are unable to care for their children for a period of time or permanently.
As a rule, custody remains with the parents and the foster carers are responsible for the so-called day-to-day care. Cooperation between the foster carer and the parents is usually essential.
During the course of the foster care relationship, the youth welfare office, the foster carer and the parents with custody rights repeatedly discuss together what is best for the child's development (help plan).
Interested parties become foster parent applicants:
For this reason, the employees of the Youth Welfare Office will hold discussions with the interested parties to determine whether a foster relationship is even a possibility for them and their family members, and which framework conditions should be met in order to be able to assume responsibility for a child who is not their own.
Assistance for upbringing in full-time care is intended to provide children and adolescents with temporary educational assistance or a permanent form of living in another family, depending on the age and stage of development of the child or adolescent and his or her personal ties as well as the possibilities of improving the educational conditions in the family of origin. Suitable forms of family care are to be created and expanded for children or adolescents with particularly impaired development.
Process flow
The custodial parents apply to the local youth welfare office for help with upbringing. The youth welfare office then checks whether full-time foster care is really the most suitable help in this particular case.
The custodial parents can usually express their wishes when selecting the foster family, for example regarding their general living situation or religious orientation. They can also suggest a foster family themselves (e.g. relatives). However, the youth welfare office must determine their suitability as foster parents.
Whether the Youth Welfare Office places a foster child and how long it takes to get to that point is beyond the control of foster care applicants. There is no entitlement to the placement of a child. The exact structure of the foster relationship is agreed upon by the Youth Welfare Office, the person entitled to the care and the foster carer, with the participation of the child (depending on age) or adolescent, in an assistance plan.
To ensure that a later return to the family of origin is not impossible, it can be determined that the parents can visit their child during the duration of the foster relationship, for example, at agreed appointments or can also care for their child themselves for a short time (e.g. on a weekend).
During the duration of the foster relationship, both the parents and the foster carers are supervised and supported by the youth welfare office.
After the child has been placed with the foster carer, work is usually done within a period of time that is acceptable for the child's development to ensure that the educational conditions in the child's family improve to such an extent that a return to the parents is possible.
Who should I contact?
If you are interested in taking in a foreign child in your family, contact the youth welfare office of the district or independent city responsible for your place of residence.
Which documents are required?
- Certificate of good conduct
- medical certificate or health certificate
- Information about the income situation
Application of the legal guardian is required. In the case of single parents, the negative certificate must be brought along with the application for the granting of educational assistance. If necessary, personal documents/documents
What are the fees?
none
A processing fee is not charged. However, the child/young person and his/her parents will be required to pay the costs of the measure depending on their economic circumstances.
What deadlines do I have to pay attention to?
none
What else should I know?
Foster care allowance:
If the Youth Welfare Office places a child with foster carers, these to ensure the necessary maintenance of the child (§ 39 SGB VIII) on foster care allowance.
The foster care allowance is graduated according to the age of the foster child and consists of the amount for the child's living expenses and the costs of upbringing. The foster care allowance is intended for expenses that are to be paid directly for the foster child, i.e. food, clothing, rent, electricity, heating, school materials, pocket money, toys, contributions to sports clubs, etc. The cost of education is a contribution in recognition of the foster carer's special educational achievements.
The foster care allowance is paid by the youth welfare office and is tax-free. Under certain conditions, the foster child can also be entered on the tax card of the foster mother or father.
Where can I get further support?
As a rule, foster parents have joined together to form local associations and/or meet for a "foster parents' regulars' table". Here you can find out first hand how living with a foster child is like.
The regional educational, marriage, family and life counseling centers also offer advice and support on parenting issues.
Author
The text was automatically translated based on the German content per DeepL.
The text was automatically translated based on the German content per DeepL.
Technically approved by
Thuringian Ministry for Social Affairs, Family and Health
Professionally released on
Source: Zuständigkeitsfinder Thüringen (Linie6PLus)
Competent Authority
Landeshauptstadt Erfurt, Stadtverwaltung - Allgemeiner Sozialdienst
Visiting address
99085 Erfurt
