Apply for education in a foster family (full-time care)

If parents in an emergency or crisis situation can no longer exercise their parental responsibility in a way that ensures the child's well-being, they can apply for their child to be placed in a foster family.

Full-time foster care offers many advantages:

  • The child benefits from the stable environment and a family routine in which he or she is integrated.
  • The birth parents can concentrate on themselves and their living situation while their child is placed in a foster family and work on making a life together with their child possible again.

The aim of full-time foster care is to initially provide temporary help. If a return to the family of origin is possible within a reasonable period of time for the child's development, a permanent placement in the foster family is also possible .

If the Youth Welfare Office agrees to the child being placed in a foster family, the parents must usually also agree to this decision. If possible, the natural parents should retain custody of their child. This means that they continue to make important decisions in the child's life, e.g. about his or her schooling.

The foster family receives foster care money from the Youth Welfare Office to cover the child's necessary maintenance and the costs of upbringing.

The Youth Welfare Office always bases its decisions on the best interests of the child. This also concerns the question of contact between the child and its natural parents. For example, it can be agreed that the natural parents will visit their child at agreed times during the duration of the foster care relationship or that they will also care for their child alone for a certain period of time (e.g. at the weekend).

Note: Foster families are carefully checked by the Youth Welfare Office for their suitability and prepared for their task.

Prerequisite

There is an emergency or a particularly severe crisis situation in the family.

Responsible department

the local youth welfare office

Youth Welfare Office is,

  • if you live in a city district: the city administration
  • if you live in a district: the district administration office

Note: The of Constance perform tasks as local youth welfare organisations themselves. The city of Villingen-Schwenningen has transferred the municipal youth welfare office to the Schwarzwald-Baar district as of 01.07.2023.

Procedure

The custodial parents must apply for help with upbringing at the responsible youth welfare office. The Youth Welfare Office will check whether full-time foster care is the appropriate help in this case.

Usually, the natural parents can express wishes when choosing the foster family (e.g. general living situation or religious orientation). They can also suggest a foster family themselves (e.g. relatives). Depending on the degree of kinship, the youth welfare office must determine their suitability as foster parents.

The Youth Welfare Office, the natural parents and the foster parents agree on the exact structure of the foster care relationship in an assistance plan with the participation of the child.

The Youth Welfare Office supervises and supports both the natural parents and the foster parents during the foster care relationship. In the case of long-term foster care, regular meetings take place in which all parties involved discuss the future organisation of the foster care.

Deadlines

none

Required documents

none

Costs

The natural parents must contribute to the costs of full-time care according to their financial possibilities. They must also pay child benefit and possible maintenance payments for the child's upkeep.

Miscellaneous

Would you like to take in a foster child yourself? You can find out everything you need to know about this topic in the brochure "What foster parents should know" (PDF( from the Baden-Württemberg Local Government Association for Youth and Social Affairs. You can also get the brochure from your youth welfare office.

Appeal

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Release note

12.07.2023 Sozialministerium Baden-Württemberg