Frequently Asked Questions

Resource Families include individuals, couples, and families who want to provide care to a child who is under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Court.

Beta Foster Care coaches each individual Resource Family Applicant Steps for Resource Family Approval one applicant at a time with the goal to approve the applicant within 90 days. Most delays in approval are due to the following:

• Out-of–state background clearances needed for applicants who have moved to California within the last 5 years.
• Applicants delaying their submission of required documents to Beta Foster Care.
• Applicants not completing the required Beta Foster Care Pre-Approval Training or Home Study Interviews.

Yes, single adults may be approved to be a Resource Family.

Yes, adults who live in apartments qualify to be approved as a Resource Family. The apartment must have adequate living space to accommodate foster children. Please see the Resource Family Requirements.

Yes, adults must be a minimum of 21 years of age to qualify to be approved as a Resource Family by Beta Foster Care. All applicants must submit a Resource Family Approval (RFA) Health Questionnaire with up-to-date health information from the applicant’s health care professional.

Yes, adults must submit proof of income Certification Requirement to be approved as a Resource Family.

When children have been removed from their families to ensure their safety, federal law requires that Child Welfare Agencies demonstrate reasonable efforts to reunite them back to their families. This is called Family Reunification. If Family Reunification cannot be achieved the Juvenile Court will approve an alternative permanent plan. The next most permanent plan goal is adoption then guardianship. A transitional living plan may be approved as an alternative for young adults exiting foster care.

Yes, all Resource Families in California receive funds for placed foster children and young adults (Non-Minor Dependents) under the same “Level of Care” (LOC) foster care rate system. The Resource Family shall receive funds from Beta Foster Care monthly. The LOC Rate level amount received by the Resource Family shall be decided upon by the County Placement Agency on a case-by-case basis. These LOC Rate level amounts are more than adequate to fund the foster child’s and young adult’s placement needs. The Resource Family is not employed by Beta Foster Care, or the County Placement Agency, or the State of California. Hence, the funds received by the Resource Family are not a source of income.

Yes, all foster children and young adults (Non-Minor Dependents) placed by Beta Foster Care receive Medi-Cal Insurance. Medi-Cal Insurance covers the health care, dental care, and mental health care needs of foster children and the young adults placed with the Resource Family.

Foster children and young adults are a diverse group needing our immediate help. Beta Foster Care receives foster care placement referrals from Child Welfare Agencies (mostly Orange County). These children may range in age from days old (just from the hospital) to teen mothers with their own babies. Beta Foster Care receives children and young adults one at a time and sometimes siblings to be placed together. Many of the children are referred to Beta Foster Care at the start of their foster care experience. Their biological parents will have been granted 6 to 24 months of Family Reunification Services to help them reunite safely with their children. Other children have been in foster care placement for many months before being referred to Beta Foster Care and these children did not reunite with their families as originally planned. Therefore, the Juvenile Court will approve an alternative permanent plan, such as adoption, for these children. Placement matches for foster children and young adults are based on the calling, interests, and caregiving strengths of the Resource Family.

Length of foster care placements varies based on individual case circumstances that are reviewed by Beta Foster Care at the time of placement. Foster children remain in foster care placement on the average of 13.9 months nationwide until either they are reunited with their families or until the Juvenile Court orders an alternative plan of permanency placement.

Yes, hundreds of foster children have been adopted by Juvenile Court approved Beta Foster Care caregivers (previously called Foster Families now called Resource Families). Beta Foster Care provides the Home Study (approving the family for foster care and adoption) and partners with the County of Orange for finalization of the adoption process.

Yes, Resource Families may choose the age and gender of a foster child for placement within state licensing standards, as seen in the Resource Family Requirements. It is important to make an informed decision. The broader the age range preferred and openness to accepting males and females the greater number of successful placement matches. Placement matching is a team effort between the Resource Family and Beta Foster Care staff. Many matching issues are covered prior to placement. It is a time to put into practice the strategies reviewed in the Beta Foster Care Pre-Approval Training BETA Model.

Foster care placement is an entire Resource Family experience. Successful placement matching is when foster children and the children of the Resource Family may have a healthy experience together. Planning on this match begins in the Beta Foster Care Pre-Approval Training BETA Model. Beta Foster Care staff provide a strengths-based approach to support the placement experience that is ongoing for foster children and the children of the Resource Family. The feedback received from Resource Families has been very positive in return. Many foster youths often maintain ongoing relationships with Resource Families after they have reunited with their biological families.