"My husband and I decided to be foster parents because the passion we have for kids, our home was always filled with kids and teenagers that were friends of our own kids that really looked up to Danny & I?at times they called us mom and pops. Danny and I prayed about and said why not open our home up to kids who really need a loving and safe place to live and give them a new beginning to help them develop to become outstanding women and men. Danny and I have enjoyed every minute of parenting, not saying you don't have those bad times, but it is a joyous occasion to work together and see a difference you make with yourself and that child you have grown to love."
Sunrise is a different kind of foster care agency. We have a commitment to produce and maintain strong, quality therapeutic foster homes. Through the professional training & ongoing support provided by our entire staff, our mission is to help families like yours grow to be confident and competent foster parents for the children and youth that we serve.
Call (855) 33-ICARE for information or to start the process of becoming a foster parent.
Like some other agencies, we provide ongoing 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week support to our families, free pre-service and on-going training opportunities, and daily care reimbursement based on the child's age and behavioral needs. However, we also provide a variety of benefits that you may not find with just any foster care agency, including:
- Transportation assistance and mileage reimbursement to relieve the burden of high gas prices
- Respite care to ensure you have time for yourself and your own family
- Liability insurance
- Recruitment bonuses for referrals of new foster parents
- Flexible training schedules, including group and in-home sessions, and training in the evenings or on weekends to meet the demands of your busy life
- A variety of flexible training formats, including web-based training, topic specific on-demand trainings, and training opportunities with other foster parents that serve as a time to network & gain support from others
- Long-term experienced staff members who are always just a phone call away to provide assistance developing goals, planning for the child's treatment, and to advocate for the child in the legal and educational systems
- Placement matching services to ensure the "best fit" for the child and your family
- And a statewide network of supportive churches and businesses that provide additional support by donating gift cards, free or discounted event tickets, and other in-kind gifts
To become a foster parent for Sunrise Children's Services, you and your family must meet the following minimal requirements:
- 21 years of age
- Valid Driver's License
- Reliable transportation & automobile insurance
- Good mental & physical health
- A home that is safe and free from hazards
- Space for an additional child in your home
- Complete criminal background & child abuse checks
- Willingness to complete 42 hours of pre-service training and participate in a home study.
Fostering is spilled tears, broken dreams, and stolen innocence. It is the restoration of what was once lost, and the new beginnings of things to come. Fostering is the choice to parent children, children thrown to the wolves, neglected by the selfish, and a holding pattern for those slated for reunion; not to spite myself, but to bless my life... I foster. I cry, I pray, and I cheer my children to the betterment of themselves. Whether within my home, out into the world, and into the continuation of their lives; the handprint of a mother's love is upon them... the blueprint for success is within them. Fostering is planting a seed of hope that will endure the weight of the past and bring harvest to promises of the future.
~ Viva, age 53, Sunrise Foster Parent
Call (855) 33-ICARE for information or to start the process of becoming a foster parent.