Children come into the custody of the Lake County Department of Job & Family Services due a crisis which resulted in the child being a victim of abuse, neglect or dependency.  If the child cannot be placed safely with a relative, the Lake County Department of Job & Family Services is responsible for providing a safe environment for that child.  It is the philosophy of the Department that children grow better in families therefore our primary goal is to find foster care providers who are willing to provide temporary care to children while their families are in crisis.  Foster parents provide care until reunification with a family member can occur.  If reunification is unable to occur children would become eligible for adoption and either remain with their foster parents who make a permanent commitment to care for the child or an adoptive home is secured.

The Substitute Care Unit is responsible for recruiting and licensing foster parents and approving adoptive parents.  There is a specific need for people who are:

• able to provide a caring environment for children until they are able to return home;

• able to accept children as they are;

• stay at home parents who can provide care to a child under six weeks of age;

• able to parent a sibling group of two or more children;

• or willing to parent teenagers.

The Lake County Department of Job & Family Services provides support to their foster parents by providing the following services:

            Personal support from an assigned Substitute Care Social Worker

            Ongoing training and conference attendance

            Foster Parent Association of Lake County

            Respite care

            Daily per diem rate to reimburse for the cost of providing care

            Medical, dental and vision care for children

            Transportation reimbursement (on a limited basis)

            Foster Parent Handbook

            Monthly newsletter

To report suspected child or elder abuse or neglect,

please contact the

24-Hour Child and Elder Abuse Hotline at

(440) 350-4000 or (440) 918-4000.

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