State Spotlight: Becoming a NJ foster or resource parent

This Patch article is sponsored by The NJ Department of Children and Families.

Patch had a chance to talk with Assistant Commissioner of the NJ Department of Children and Families Laura Jamet about who can be a resource family.

Patch: What is a resource family, and how is it different than a foster care family?

Laura Jamet: In New Jersey, whether we're talking about foster families or resource families, they're one and the same. These families temporarily provide nurturing, care, and support in a home for a child or teen while they wait to be reunited with their family of origin.

Whether you call them foster families or resource families, these caregivers work to support not just the youth in care but also the entire family that surrounds the youth, both during care and after the family has reunited.

Patch: If I become a resource parent, will I be able to adopt a child?

Laura Jamet: It occasionally happens, but it’s not typical.

We have shifted the New Jersey system so that it is now rare that a child needs to be removed from their family as a safety intervention. In situations where a child is not safe at home, we first turn to extended family members or people familiar to the child to be a resource parent. This helps keep children connected to their family, culture, language, religious beliefs, and community. When a familiar placement cannot be identified, we mobilize a volunteer resource parent – what you very likely would typically think of when you think of “foster care” – but always with the intention to reunify the family, whenever possible.

Adoption is a separate process from fostering. It happens only in rare instances when families cannot be reunified and there are no extended families or friends available to offer resource support. The goal of resource families is to provide temporary and safe living situations while the family works towards reunification; the goal of adoptive families is to provide a forever home for children when reunification is not possible.

If you are specifically interested in adoption, you can see children in NJ who have been cleared for adoption at adoptuskids.org.

Patch: Who can be a resource parent?

Laura Jamet: Any adult in New Jersey, but we are especially in need of Black, Hispanic and Latino, and Spanish-speaking families to offer culturally competent placements for children and youth in need of out-of-home care. Additionally, we are looking for families open to supporting and affirming children and youth who are LGBTQIA+ or are beginning to question their orientation and gender identity.

We need resource families throughout the state, but especially in Camden, Mercer, Essex, Gloucester, and Atlantic Counties.

Patch: Who are the youth who need resource families?

Laura Jamet: Youth in foster care can range from infants to 21-year-olds, but we especially need resource families willing to care for children with increased behavioral, developmental, and medical needs; sibling groups of four or more; teenagers and youth, including those who are LGBTQIA+.

Patch: Why should I consider being a resource parent?

Laura Jamet: It is incredibly rewarding. You get to help a child and a family in your community when they need it most. As a resource parent, you’re joining a village of support for the family as they navigate a difficult time in their lives. Even after the child is reunified with their family, you are often able to stay in touch and be a part of their lives as a mentor.

Patch: I’m single. Can I be a resource parent?

Laura Jamet: Yes. Resource parents can be single, married, or partnered. We follow guidelines established through New Jersey’s Law Against Discrimination: we will not preclude a person from being a resource parent based solely on their culture, religion, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, affectional orientation, or marital/civil union or domestic partnership status.

All are invited to join the village, and the most important thing is an individual’s willingness and ability to be there for a child or family in need.

Patch: How can I learn more?

Laura Jamet: Learn more at nj.gov/njfosteradopt/ and start your application process at our Binti website.