Foster Parents Program

Foster Parents Needed!

The United Keetoowah Band Indian Child Welfare (ICW) department is currently seeking Keetoowah foster families to provide care giving and a temporary home for Keetoowah children who have been removed from their home. A child’s time in a foster home could be as brief as 48 hours or as long as a year until they are returned to their families or parental rights have been terminated. If possible, children are placed in a Keetoowah home with Keetoowah foster parents. In most cases, these individuals understand and appreciate the culture and it is a more normal environment for the child. “Our goal is to ‘Insure that every child of the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma is given the opportunity to live in a safe and healthy environment and to be raised with an understanding and appreciation of their tribal culture,” said Joni Pitts, UKB Indian Child Welfare Director. Foster parents are paid monthly depending on the age of the child they are providing a home. Children can range from newborns to 18 year olds. The foster home may also be a group home. ICW workers prefer to keep siblings together if at all possible. Foster parents may be a married couple, a single person, an elder, or the child’s family member. “Potential foster parents will be required to attend a training session provided by the ICW and they will be given a background check,” said Pitts. Our main goal is reunification of families. We work with parents to complete a treatment plan by setting them up in programs such as Parenting Classes, Anger Management and Family Counseling. We also refer clients to other programs and resources for such problems as substance abuse or mental illness. Some of these children who are placed in the system have physical, psychological, emotional, social, and behavioral needs. ICW workers help to meet those needs by coordinating with the foster parents and other agencies that provide these services. For more information, call 800-794-6514.

Requirements to be a Foster Parent

Generally speaking, if you have a stable home and some solid parenting skills, you can become a foster parent. You can be single or married and it doesn't matter whether you have children of your own. People who work outside the home can also be foster parents. There are some specific requirements you have to be able to meet. You must be at least 21 years old. Have enough room (and beds) in your home for a foster child to sleep and keep his or her belongings. Have a home that can meet basic fire, safety and sanitary standards. Be physically and emotionally capable of caring for children and have no alcohol or drug abuse problems. Be able to pass a criminal background check and have no substantiated record of abusing or neglecting children. Make enough money to provide for your own family, so you do not need to depend on the foster care reimbursement you might receive as income. If you meet these requirements, come and see us at the Round House and ask for Joni Pitts ICW Director or Juanita Smith, or contact us by phone toll free #1-800-794-6514 or 918-456-9200.

Indian Child Welfare Act - Full Text