How to Become a Foster Parent in NJ + Resource Parent Requirements

According to Foster Care Capacity, there are over 3,000 kids in foster care in New Jersey. Foster parents who are willing to provide a temporary home for these children are very much needed in the Garden State.

While it may seem like a lot of steps to become a foster or resource parent, it’s all worth it when it comes to making a forever impact – on both yourself and a child in foster care.

Do you have it in your heart to make a difference? Here’s your step-by-step breakdown with everything you need to know to become a resource parent in New Jersey. 

What’s the Difference Between a Resource Parent and a Foster Parent in New Jersey?

In New Jersey, the term resource parent is currently being used instead of foster parent as a way to accurately describe the role of those who dedicate their support to children in foster care. 

Resource parents are committed to guiding and caring for these children while working with professionals toward reunification with birth families — when possible.

This article will use the terms “resource parent” and “foster parent” interchangeably. 

Understanding the Role of a Foster Parent in New Jersey

Being a foster parent is so much more than just providing a home to a child in need.

Your role is to provide loving care, security, and support — allowing a child in foster care to feel safe and comforted during a time of transition.

Providing a Safe and Nurturing Foster Home in New Jersey

Every child in foster care deserves to feel secure and loved. Part of that means providing the basics that make up a safe, healthy, and fun childhood.

Foster parents must create a secure and caring environment for a child in foster care. This means providing a stable home, food, and comfort while also letting them enjoy activities and hobbies. 

And while you must have enough income to cover your own cost of living, New Jersey does offer a foster care stipend for foster parents to meet the child’s daily needs.

The stipend, also known as a “board rate” for foster care in New Jersey, starts at $713 per month. The amount may increase depending on the level of care needed by the child.

You’ll also receive a clothing allowance so that the child in your care has clothes that fit well and are suitable for weather conditions, like a warm winter coat.

These little extras beyond the basics help a child in foster care have a regular, stable life and grow into a healthy adult.

Helping Kids in Foster Care Build Positive Relationships

Helping a child in foster care understand and develop healthy relationships with those around them is crucial. These children have often been through many sudden transitions and losses, leading to limited trust of others.

Understandably, children in foster care may have attachment issues due to past trauma and instability. In fact, kids in foster care are among the highest groups at risk for attachment disorder, especially if they have experienced neglect or maltreatment.

Thankfully, foster parents play a key role by helping kids in foster care learn to trust and form healthy relationships through patience and dependability. Not only can this approach help heal attachment disorder, but it creates a stronger bond between you and a child in foster care. 

When possible, this support and encouragement can also help in rebuilding their connection with birth parents. 

Addressing Emotional Needs Unique to Foster Care

Understanding the unique emotional needs of children in foster care is another core responsibility of foster parents. 

Research from the National Library of Medicine shows that a higher perceived quality of caregiver relationships in foster families lowers the rate of depression for kids in foster care. This is especially true of caregivers who acknowledge, rather than ignore, the difficulty of the child’s circumstances.

Kids in foster care may need extra patience and support to deal with their feelings because of their experience with potential trauma or neglect. Helping children feel safe, loved, and part of the family allows them to heal. 

Supporting a Child’s Education

When it comes to education, children in foster care are at risk in terms of high school completion rates. This can have a big impact on their future college and career opportunities. 

As a resource parent, you’d be helping a child or teenager navigate academic success, whether they are in elementary, middle, or high school. This educational support is instrumental during such crucial formative years.

As of September 9, 2010, the New Jersey Educational Stability Act requires that CP&P (Division of Child Protection and Permanency) work with school districts so that children in foster care can remain in their current school if that is in their best interest. This educational stability can provide important consistency in terms of friends, teachers, and a familiar environment.

As a result of this NJ act, and if the current school is considered a good fit for the child in foster care, foster parents are reimbursed per mile for driving — or the school district will arrange bus transportation.

In addition to school stability, children in foster care need guidance and support with their education just like any other kid. 

According to the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, foster parents should work with teachers and professionals to provide and ensure the following:

• Regular school attendance
• Help with homework, academic accountability, and time management
• Encouraging good study habits and asking for assistance when needed
• Celebrating achievements
• Keeping up to date with conferences and school personnel to monitor progress and any changes

This teamwork helps address the student’s unique needs and overcome any school-related challenges. It also allows access to important resources and lets foster parents show belief in their kids’ abilities.

Preparing Adolescents and Teens in Foster Care for Adulthood

Foster parents play an important part in preparing adolescents and teens in foster care for their future as adults.

They provide emotional support and teach important life skills, including showing teens in foster care how to manage money, care for themselves, and understand access to valuable resources as they leave foster care when they're older.

For youth in foster care ages 14-21, CP&P has a variety of services and support available. One such program is LifeSet, designed to help guide and support young adults through these times of transition. 

By providing a stable, loving, and supportive home, especially for teens in foster care in New Jersey, foster parents dramatically help improve their outcomes in young adulthood and set them on a path to a bright future.

Resource Parent Guide: How to Become a Foster Parent in NJ

Are you ready to become a foster parent in New Jersey? 

If so, here’s your guide to how the resource parenting process works in this state.

1. Ensure You Meet the Basic NJ Requirements for Foster Parenting

To become a foster parent, there are a set of requirements for each state. In New Jersey, the requirements are as follows:

• You must be at least 18 years old. Some foster care organizations that offer specialized services, such as therapeutic foster care, may have a higher minimum age, such as 21. There's no maximum age limit as long as you're healthy enough to provide proper care.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or have a permanent resident card.
• A valid New Jersey government ID, such as a state driver’s license or ID card, is also required. 
• Everyone in the household must pass a criminal background check. 
• Your home, whether an apartment or house, must be safe for children and meet basic safety standards. For example, you should not have exposed wires.
• You'll undergo sessions from CP&P (Child Protection & Permanency) to help you care for the child and work with other professionals.
• Everyone in your household should agree to help and support the child in foster care.
• You must do a basic health screening with your primary care physician.
• Children in foster care in New Jersey cannot share a room with your biological kids.
• You must have access to transportation. This could be a car (with proper driver’s license and registration) or, depending where you live, reliable access to public transportation.
• You must have a backup caregiver who can act as a stand-in Resource Parent in case of emergencies.

Anyone can be a foster parent in New Jersey regardless of their culture, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, affectional orientation, or marital status.

It’s important to know that being a foster parent can be challenging as well as rewarding. You need to support the child through good and tough times and be there for them until they return to their family or find a permanent home.

But you’re not alone: Foster parents work with a team, including social workers, the courts, teachers, doctors, therapists, and sometimes the child's birth family — all with a focus on the child's safety and well-being.

2. Choose an Organization 

Choosing a dedicated organization to guide you through the fostering process also ensures that you are not alone. New Jersey has experts to streamline the procedures for you and support you with each step.

For example, Mentor Foster Care helps prospective foster parents in New Jersey with the application and process to become foster parents. Mentor’s team of foster care experts is here to answer any questions you might have about fostering, big or small. 

In New Jersey, Mentor Foster Care operates in:

• Mt. Laurel: 2000 Crawford Place, Mt Laurel, NJ 08054, (856) 533-4100
• Somerset: 80 Cottontail Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873, (732) 627-9890

3. Fill Out an Application

Anyone looking to become a foster parent in New Jersey who has met the basic requirements will need to start by filling out an application. This important and exciting step officially begins your journey to becoming a resource parent and making a life-changing difference for a child in NJ foster care.

4. Complete Required PRIDE Preservice Sessions

The state of New Jersey, like states throughout the U.S., requires a certain number of preservice sessions. These sessions provide you with the information and guidance foster parents need to care for a child in foster care.

In New Jersey, the preservice sessions are part of a program called "PRIDE," which stands for Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education. It offers comprehensive education and information for those who want to become foster or resource parents.

Some of the essential skills taught include:

• Caring for and keeping children safe
• Helping children grow and develop, even if they're behind
• Supporting a child's relationship with their family
• Connecting a child with lasting, loving relationships
• Working well in a professional team for a child's best interest
• Understanding trauma-informed care approaches
• Managing challenging behaviors
• Navigating the child welfare system

This program is designed to prepare and support foster families so they can provide the best care for children in need.

5. Complete the Home Study Process

To become a foster parent in NJ, you'll need to participate in a home study.

During a home study, a social worker will:

• Ensure that your home reveals no health, safety, or fire hazards in the physical facility of the home and the premises where the home is located
• Conduct multiple interviews with all household members to ensure a nurturing environment
• Review your family history, relationships, and parenting experiences
• Assess your understanding of children's needs, especially those who have experienced trauma
• Evaluate your home's safety and compliance with state requirements
• Check references from family members, friends, and employers
• Verify financial stability and ability to provide for a child's needs

They will also discuss your family relationships, lifestyle, and reasons for wanting to be a foster parent. 

6. Complete Background Checks and Paperwork

As part of the licensing process in New Jersey, all adult household members 18 years and older must undergo thorough background checks.

Some of these background checks include:

• Criminal history 
• Child abuse registry 
• Domestic violence registry 
• Sex offender registry 
• Fingerprinting for state and federal records

These checks, and any others required by the state, help ensure that children are placed in safe environments with caregivers who can provide appropriate support and protection.

According to New Jersey’s Foster Parent licensing manual, additional paperwork to complete includes:

• Personal, employment, and child care references
• Medical records
• Necessary information for Child Abuse Record Information background check
• Disclosure of any convictions for crimes or disorderly persons offenses (for each applicant and household member age 14 years or older)
• Statement of financial resources
• Resource Family Parent Agreement: includes applicant’s agreement to attend to child’s health and dental care and provide stated services as well as any that are appropriate for each child placed in the home

7. Receive Your Foster Parent License 

Once you've completed all the required steps — your application, PRIDE sessions, home study, and background checks — the final step is receiving your official approval as a licensed resource family (foster family) in New Jersey.

When you receive your license, you'll be ready for the next step in welcoming a child into your home and making a difference in their life! Your license will specify the number, ages, and needs of children you are approved to foster.

As Tacole Robinson, a foster parent with Mentor Foster Care, reassures: 

"At the end of the day, it's worth it. The paperwork is worth going through. The interviews is worth going through the fingerprinting because at the end of the day, you're going to provide a space, a home, a family for a child."

8. Matching Process

Once you are a licensed resource parent in New Jersey, caseworkers will begin the matching process with a child in foster care. This can take some time to ensure that you and your family are the best fit for the child.

This is where foster parents can share any preferences, such as age and gender. 

It’s beneficial to have an open mind when you go into the matching process: While many new foster parents think first of fostering babies or young children, people often find fulfillment in supporting teens and older children.

Once you are matched with a child in foster care, you will be provided with all their relevant information.

9. Welcoming a Child into Your Home

Welcoming a child in foster care into your home after these steps are complete is an indescribable moment. 

Now’s your opportunity to show a child patience and love, and include them as a member of your family.

Monteka, an experienced foster parent, advises: 

"To pour into a child's life and for that child to see that someone's actually going to be present for them and give them positive attention and just show them love—that just conquers everything."

10. Participate in Ongoing Sessions and Annual Inspections

Even after becoming a licensed foster parent in New Jersey, ongoing sessions are required to maintain your license and continue to develop your skills. This includes:

• Additional PRIDE modules
• Specialized guidance for specific needs (such as medical, behavioral, or developmental challenges)
• Support groups and networking with other foster parents
• Regular check-ins with your resource family support worker

It’s also expected that resource parents complete 21 in-service session hours as part of their license renewal inspection, which takes place every three years.

According to the latest version of the Manual of Requirements for Resource Family Parents (active through July 2026), an annual interview and inspection of the home will be conducted by the Division or Office of Licensing representative.

• The inspection is to ensure that the resource family home is in compliance with stated provisions.
• The interview will take place with each resource family parent, all members of the household, and the child in placement.

These measures are to ensure the continued safety, support, and well-being of the child in foster care and their resource family.

Support for New Jersey Foster Parents

There are many steps involved in the journey to becoming a foster parent in New Jersey, and it may seem overwhelming in the beginning. But there is a great deal of support along the way — especially from organizational professionals who understand and can help you navigate the entire process.

Some of the additional support services and resources in NJ include:

• Health care coverage for the child through Medicaid
• Child care services
• Special transportation reimbursement
• Car seats, bicycle helmets, and infant care items
• Flex funds for special activities such as camps and tutoring

From teams of professionals to dedicated foster parents and resource families, everyone involved is supported in the goal of providing safety, care, and love to children in New Jersey foster care.

Get Personalized Advice from a New Jersey Foster Care Expert

Talk to a foster care expert in New Jersey to get personalized advice and answers specific to your life circumstances.

Take the first step on your journey to becoming a resource parent in NJ and making a lifelong difference for a child in foster care. Speaking to an expert will give you insights and help you begin the foster parenting process.

As said by Monteka, a Mentor Foster Parent: "Do it because that's where your heart is, and do it because you genuinely care. And if you do it for those reasons, everything else will fall in place." 

You don't have to be a superhero — just someone willing to provide the love and care a child in NJ foster care needs.