Foster Families
Share your life by welcoming a person with a disability into your home, family and community.
What is Adult Foster Care?
Adult Foster Care allows you and your family to share your life by welcoming a person with a disability into your home. If you live alone you can still qualify as an adult foster family caretaker. This service is funded by Indiana’s Developmental Disablility (DD) and Autism waivers.
When the individual has moved in he/she shares in the routines and activities of your family, which include anything from putt-putt in the spring to apple picking in the fall. The person is also expected to make small contributions by doing things like making dessert or watering the plants. In return, you help with everyday life functions such as shopping for snacks and giving the individual his/her medications on time.
Why is Adult Foster Care for you?
It is a very rewarding experience to help the individual live a happy life in your home, and in return for your services you receive monthly income from a tax-free stipend. An individual budget is also developed, providing you and the individual with a financial agreement for reimbursement of room and board expenses.
As an adult foster family member, you do not have to worry about missing out on other jobs. While providing Adult Foster Care, you are permitted to have an additional job elsewhere as long as you can fulfill your duties instructed in the person’s Individualized Support Plan.
If you are not currently living with anyone you can still qualify as an adult foster family caretaker. Welcoming a person with a disability into to your home can be the best cure for loneliness. The bond you and the individual form can change both of your lives forever.
Who qualifies Adult Foster Care? (Eligibility)
In order to receive Adult Foster Care under the Autism or DD waivers the person must be over 18, eligible for Medicaid and approved for either waiver. To be approved the individual must be diagnosed with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, a seizure disorder or another developmental disability. In addition, he/she must have deficits in major life areas such as communication, mobility, self-direction, self-help, and capacity for independent living.
What makes a good adult foster family?
Your family must be made up of persons who enjoy family life, gladly share with others, are considerate and have an inclination to help people. You also must live in a home that is safe, comfortable and has an extra bedroom for the individual to personalize.
How do I start Adult Foster Care?
Families pursue Adult Foster Care certification through a five step process:
- Complete a “Statement of Interest” form and personal interview.
- Submit personal information to your county Sherriff’s office, the State of Indiana and the FBI so they can perform criminal background checks.
- Contact Factors to arrange a home inspection visit from a case manager.
- Complete Factors’ orientation training.
- Develop an adult foster family “personal profile” that identifies your family’s interests, abilities, strengths and concerns. This will be shared with people with disabilities as they work with team members to select a potential family to live with.
How does Adult Foster Care work?
- Your case manager arranges for the individual to share personal information with your family and vice versa. This will help you decide if you are a potential match, based on your compatibility.
- Your family visits the person where he/she is presently living.
- The individual visits your home for lunch, dinner or other casual meeting.
- The person stays in your home overnight (or for a whole weekend).
- The individual’s support team meets to assist him/her in making an informed decision about living with your family.
- Your case manager updates the person’s “Level of Care,” if necessary, and completes the “cost comparison budget.”
- The individual’s support team develops his/her “community living budget.”
- The Adult Foster Care coordinator provides you with appropriate training. During this training process your family is taught how to carry out the person’s “Individualized Support Plan” and daily activities, and they are also taught how to accommodate his/her preferences.
- The individual, the Adult Foster Care coordinator and your family all agree on the moving date, which of his/her belongings need to be moved and any other moving details.
- The person moves in with your family, and follow-along begins with weekly visits from your case manager for the first 30 days (longer if needed), and then monthly for the next 90 days.
- You are continually monitored to ensure the individual’s satisfaction in the quality and responsiveness of the services you provide.
4 reasons to choose Factors for Adult Foster Care
- Easier for Your Family
Factors makes it easier to serve the person by providing your family with training, daily instructions, 24-hour around-the-clock emergency response and much more. Your case manager is well-educated, has an extensive knowledge of Adult Foster Care and is available for questions and advice from 9-5 p.m. every weekday. - Experience
The Factors staff has extensive knowledge in healthcare programs, service and waivers. This was gained from 14 successful years of experience serving the people of Indiana. - Person with a Disability “Personal Profiles”
Your case manager gives your family the individual’s “personal profile” to help you learn more about him/her and help you provide better care. This can include the person’s likes, dislikes and basic information about his/her disability. - Adult Foster Family “Personal Profiles”
The individual is not automatically assigned to your family at Factors. Instead, your case manager allows the person (or guardian) to pick the family of his/her choice from those available. He/she is given your family’s completed “personal profile,” to aid in the selection process. Your “personal profile” is a short, helpful description that gives the individual basic information about your family. Allowing the person to have a say in the family selection process ensures that he/she will feel comfortable and compatible with your family when you are chosen.