Foster Care
Another important way Raintree Village provides healing, belonging, and guidance to isolated youth is through a Foster Parenting program.
Since 2008, Raintree Village has been fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation to provide services for children in the foster care system.
Foster Parents Needed
Since 2020, the Georgia Department of Children’s and Families Services reports serving nearly 11,000 children a year through foster care. More than a third are in foster care for two or more years.
While we will continue to operate residential group homes, we want to make a difference in the lives of as many youth as possible. So, we recruit foster parents to serve under our Child Placing Agency license. Certified foster parents take care of children in their own home.
Foster parenting offers the opportunity to provide a stable, loving, family environment for a struggling child. Foster parents must possess a heart for young people, be faithful Christians, be willing to work with a team, and be qualified to meet the needs of children and teens.
We work with foster parents living within a 50-mile radius of Valdosta, Georgia.
For more information on this unique opportunity to make a difference, call our office at (229) 559-5944 to speak with Dymin Johnson or email her at recruits@raintreevillage.org.
Qualifications to Become a Foster Parent
- Be 21 years of age or older and have at least a high school education.
- Demonstrate moral character and personal behaviors that are congruent with the community standards of Raintree Village.
- Display a wholesome philosophy of life and a love for children.
- Exhibit a cooperative spirit to work with the entire staff in the best interest of the child.
- Be willing to submit (and pass) a Criminal History Background Check, a credit check, a DMV driver’s check, health examinations, and drug screenings.
How to Become a Foster Parent
- Call our office (229-559-5944) or submit your name and email below.
- Following a conversation with a Raintree Village staff member, complete an application giving us permission to conduct a background check.
- Once the application is approved, a home evaluation and assessment will be scheduled.
- We will assign a Case Support Worker to you who will conduct the home evaluation, walk you through the process, and answer any questions you have.
- Complete IMPACT training.
- Once all evaluations, assessments, and classes are completed and approved, you become a “certified” Raintree Village foster parent.
- A child is placed in your home!
Funding for Foster Parents
Foster parents are reimbursed for their care of foster children. The payment is called a foster “per diem.” Foster parents are paid a daily per diem based on the number of children in the home, their ages, and the program type. Raintree Village distributes per diems to foster parents bi-weekly (every other Thursday) based on the previous two weeks’ child counts/ages/program types. Money received by foster parents is not subject to taxes or considered income.
Additional Questions and Answers
There is no “waiting period” after your foster home is approved. It is not uncommon for foster parents to accept their first placement within days of their home being approved.
Every child requires a bedroom for sleeping. However, every child does not need his/her own bedroom. The state of Georgia has certain standards which will be discussed during the application process.
Yes, all prospective foster parents must complete IMPACT training before a child can be placed in the home. Raintree Village provides additional annual training on a variety of topics.
Why choose Raintree Village Children and Family Services?
- Raintree Village has a proven track record of service, making a difference in the lives of hundreds of children and teens for over fifty years!
- Raintree Village provides unmatched support to our foster families through case management, professional and moral support, and required documentation.
- As a Christian ministry, we believe in the importance of service, dedication, and commitment. We pride ourselves on “going the extra mile.”
- We see children, teens, and adults as “made in the image of God” and strive to practice the Golden Rule in all areas of work.
If you are interested in serving as a Foster Parent, please provide your name and email address below. You are welcome to ask questions or provide basic information about yourself in the message box. A designated staff member will follow up with you soon.
13 People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 16 And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
