If You Only Have a Minute:

Saying “yes” to a foster placement is a big decision. Asking thoughtful questions during placement calls or meetings can help you better understand this child’s needs, prepare your family, and determine whether you can provide the support and stability that the child deserves.

Because we deeply value expert-based, experience-informed education, we occasionally invite trusted guest experts to share perspectives and insights for the families we serve. This article came from a recent conversation on the Creating a Family podcast with foster parent mentor and content creator Laura, the Foster Parent Partner. Her practical, trauma-conscious approach to helping foster parents prepare for placement calls closely aligns with our mission of providing caregivers with realistic, compassionate support. We invited Laura to expand on foster placement questions because careful preparation before saying “yes” to a placement can make a meaningful difference for both children and families.

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Questions To Ask Before Accepting a Foster Placement

Before saying “yes” to a child, it’s important to think about how your family can meaningfully step in and support each child. It can be helpful (and important!) to ask these foster placement questions and be intentional with every “yes.”

As you look through this list, it’s important to note:

  • For urgent or emergency placements for foster parents, sometimes workers know very little information about a child. In these situations, it isn’t always appropriate to ask or expect answers to all of these questions.
  • For kids who are moving between homes, you may have some limited information about the child and their needs, and you may be able to talk to their current foster parent to learn more. A meet-and-greet may also be possible before placement.
  • Lastly, if a child needs a permanent home (through guardianship or adoption), you can expect to receive information about the child’s history and needs. These placements also often have a transition plan, which allows you to get to know the youth and for them to get to know you.

Below is an extensive list of topics you can discuss with the caseworker. I recommend highlighting the areas that matter most to you so you can prioritize what you ask about during this conversation.

You may have only a short time to ask placement questions during a phone call, or you may be able to sit down for a longer, more detailed conversation about the child. It really varies depending on the child’s situation, so it’s good to prepare as thoroughly as you can!

Learning Background and Basics:

  1. What is the child’s name, gender, pronouns, and birth date?
  2. Are there cultural or religious considerations? (this may impact things like language(s) spoken, dietary restrictions, hair care needs, holidays, etc.)
  3. How long have they been in foster care? How many homes or group homes have they been in?
  4. What is the reason they are being removed and placed into foster care? Or what is the reason they are moving foster homes?
  5. Do they have siblings placed in other foster homes?
  6. What type of placement is this? For example: Emergency/short-term, respite, longer-term need, or adoption placement
  7. Is the child Native American, or does the child have a Tribal Affiliation?
  8. What is the current status of the case? Such as: parents are working towards reunification, TPR (termination of parental rights) has occurred, what relatives are to be considered, etc.
  9. Does the child understand adoption? What are their feelings about being adopted?

Context to consider closely:

In emergency foster care situations, sometimes kids are removed quickly, and the workers don’t have a lot of information. They may not even have the basics. This is where caregiver flexibility and the ability to think on their feet come into play. Being able to bend and accommodate a variety of children and different needs will be important.

Some kids may be coming to you from another foster home, and in those cases, you likely will get a lot more information. You may even have a chance to talk with their individual worker or their current foster parent, or to have a meet-and-greet before they move in. It doesn’t hurt to ask!

If you are looking to provide permanency (through guardianship and adoption), there is likely even more information that you can access before you say “yes.” Once you say “yes”, there’s usually a formal transition plan put into place. For example, you may have meet-and-greets at the foster home or at the park, followed by a visit to your home and maybe even an overnight stay before the kids officially move in. The TV show “The Day I Picked My Parents” does a good job of showing what this process may look like.

Understanding Medical Needs:

  1. Are there any current injuries or diagnoses?
  2. Do you have assessments that led to these diagnoses?
  3. Is there a suspected or confirmed substance exposure?
  4. Is there any family history of medical or mental health needs?
  5. Does the child have any allergies, take medications, or require any specialized medical equipment or care?
  6. Has the youth ever been hospitalized? What were the circumstances and outcome?

Context to consider closely:

If kids have just been removed from their parents, they may have immediate injuries or other medical needs that need to be prioritized. It can be helpful to know this so you are ready at home, and you can also prepare your schedule for possible extra medical appointments.

If you plan to provide life-long care through adoption, having medical and mental health information is important to understand possible current and long-term care needs.

Download Your FREE Guide to Understanding Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Drugs

  1. What is their grade in school?
  2. Which school do they attend?
  3. What are their academic strengths and areas of need?
  4. Does the child need or have an IEP (Individualized Education Program), 504 plan, or early intervention services?

Context to consider closely:

Keeping kids in their school of origin can be really important for their well-being and academic success. It may not be the school that’s closest to your home, so foster parents need to factor that into their decision-making.

Another thing to think about is where their siblings are in school, as well. If the siblings are living separately in foster care, this could be an important time for siblings to see each other each day.

The youth may also have important friendships or connections with adults at their school of origin, and having some consistency during a traumatic time in their life can be really important.

  1. Has a visit plan been set up? What is the schedule?
  2. Who is responsible for transporting and monitoring the visits?
  3. Are there siblings or relatives who also have visits or expressed interest in visits?
  4. If TPR (Termination of Parental Rights) has occurred, what are the family’s wishes in terms of continued contact? Which parents or relatives does the child wish to continue seeing?

Context to consider closely:

Visit schedules may not be determined for kids who are just entering care. If they have been in care for a while, a visitation plan is likely already in place. For parents actively working towards reunification, visits may be frequent. For cases where domestic violence was occurring, you may find that a child has double visits because the parents are not allowed to be together for family time. These are all important considerations when you think about what your schedule can handle.

Even if TPR has occurred, the child may still be used to seeing or communicating with their birth parents, siblings, or relatives. These connections can be important to maintain in the child’s life. It’s good to ask the worker and the child about family connections if you are considering lifelong care through adoption.

Understanding Behavioral and Emotional Support:

  1. Are there any developmental, behavioral, or emotional considerations?
  2. Does the child have any specific support considerations, such as a history of running away, taking things, harming, or fear of animals, substance use, etc.?
  3. What are the child’s trauma triggers or trauma-related considerations?
  4. Is the child currently in therapy? If so, what kind and how long have they been in therapy?

Context to consider closely:

As you hear about past situations or incidents, diagnoses, or behavioral and emotional support needs, it’s important to recognize that you may not be getting the full story as to what happened or what the youth needs.

Unfortunately, kids in foster care get labels placed on them when things happen, and those labels aren’t easily erased from their file. There’s also often more context to situations that may not be directly shared with you. For example, a worker may tell you that the child “does best when there are no other kids in the home.” Your initial thought may be that this child may have caused safety issues with another kid in a previous home, when in fact, this child could have been the victim of abuse from another child.

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These foster placement questions have been adapted from First-Time Fostering by Laura, the Foster Parent Partner.

Laura is a content creator and mentor who draws from her experiences as a therapeutic foster parent, as well as shared stories and feedback from the community she’s built. She supports and empowers new foster parents as they get licensed and foster for the first time. With practical tips, trauma-conscious considerations, and relatable stories, Laura helps others approach the complexities of foster care. Her mission is to raise awareness, advocate for children in care, and inspire foster parents to feel confident and prepared in their journey. You can follow her social media accounts to keep learning and preparing for your foster experience!

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