Become a Foster Parent With The Bair Foundation
Have you ever felt the calling to open your heart and home to a child in need? If so, fostering in Ohio with The Bair Foundation may be the perfect way for you to provide love, stability, and support to a child during one of the most challenging times in their life. Thousands of children across the state are currently in foster care, waiting for families who can offer them a safe and nurturing home. When you partner with Bair, you’re telling them they’re enough.

The Impact of Fostering: Providing Normalcy and Stability

One of the most important things foster parents can provide is a sense of normalcy. For children who have been through so much upheaval, the routines and rituals of everyday family life can be incredibly healing.

In Ohio, foster parents are encouraged to help children engage in normal childhood activities and experiences, from sleepovers and sports to family vacations, following the reasonable parenting standards. By treating foster children as you would any other child in your home, you help them build confidence and feel a sense of belonging.

Fostering is more than just providing a place to stay—it’s about offering hope. Many children in foster care have experienced abuse, neglect, or trauma need compassionate caregivers who can help them navigate their healing journey. While fostering requires commitment, patience, and resilience, the rewards are immeasurable. By stepping up as a foster parent, you can to make a lifelong impact on a child who needs you the most. 

If you think your county doesn’t have a need, think again, according to PCSAO factbook, on average 14,000 children in Ohio are in need of foster parents.

The Goal of Foster Care in Ohio

The primary goal of foster care is reunification—helping children safely return to their biological families when possible. Foster parents play a crucial role in this process by providing temporary care and support while biological parents work toward resolving the challenges that led to the child’s placement in care. You’ll do this by advocating for your foster child’s needs, supporting them through therapy, and reminding them what family should be. 

When reunification isn’t possible, foster parents may also have the opportunity to provide a permanent, loving home through adoption. By becoming a foster parent, you’ll already know the pre-service training and requirements necessary to stand in the gap for these kids.

The Bair Foundation’s Role in Foster Care

At The Bair Foundation, we strive to ensure that every child in foster care has a stable and nurturing environment where they can thrive. As a therapeutic foster care agency, we specialize in serving children and teens who have experienced significant trauma, abuse, and neglect. Our goal is to provide intervention and support that promotes healing and well-being while helping children move toward permanency, whether through reunification or adoption.

We work to prevent out-of-home placements by strengthening biological families and providing resources to help them succeed. However, when a child’s safety is at risk, our team steps in to place them in a foster home that meets their needs. Children are placed with foster families through referrals from county agencies that contract with The Bair Foundation.

Who Can Become a Foster Parent in Ohio?
You don’t have to be a superhero to be a foster parent. In fact, foster families come in all shapes and sizes. According to Ohio’s requirements, you may be eligible to foster if you:

• Are at least 21 years old
• Can pass background checks
• Are in good physical and mental health
• Have adequate space in your home
• Are financially stable
• Complete the required training and home study process

Whether you rent or own your home, are single or married, work outside the home or not, you may qualify to become a foster parent in Ohio. The most important thing is having the dedication and ability to care for a child.

Understanding the Licensing Process

To become a licensed foster parent in Ohio, you’ll need to meet the requirements above and complete the home study process. This involves pre-placement training to help prepare you for the challenges and joys of fostering.

You’ll work closely with your Bair caseworker, who will guide you through the licensing process. This includes interviews, reference checks, home visits, and plenty of paperwork—but don’t worry! We’ll be with you every step of the way. Our Columbus office’s Intake Coordinator, Tara, had this to say, 

“When it comes to being initially licensed, not only do I walk you through the process and explain every piece of paperwork, I am also very flexible and willing to get you licensed as quickly as you want. The State requirement is that all families are licensed within 6 months of their application being accepted, but I always give my families a goal of 3 months from the date their application was accepted for a couple of reasons. 1. It gives us a little wiggle room if something happens that is out of our control (like a basement flooding, etc.) that way we aren’t trying to get everything rushed and all done before the State deadline. 2. I know it can all be done within 3 months or shorter if the family is motivated. And 3. I see how many referrals we receive every day for children who need a foster home and the quicker we can get you licensed, the quicker we can get you placement and one more child will have a safe and loving home to start their healing journey.”

Once you’re licensed, you’ll be ready to welcome your first foster child into your home. From there, your caseworker will provide ongoing support to ensure you have everything you need to care for the child. This includes continued training for you, as well as opportunities to help the child with school, extracurricular activities, and more.

The Rewards and Challenges of Fostering

Being a foster parent isn’t always easy. Children in foster care have often experienced trauma and may struggle with emotional or behavioral challenges. It takes patience, understanding, and consistency to help them feel safe and learn to trust again. Fostering also comes with unique challenges, such as working with the child’s biological family, handling visitations, and facing the actual possibility of heartbreak when a child you’ve grown to love returns home or moves to a more permanent placement.

Ohio’s State Director of Foster Care, Kristina Hudson, shared this perspective on fostering:

“Fostering is the most difficult job you will ever do—I know because I was a foster parent for three years. But it was also the most rewarding, profoundly shaping the development of my birth children and our entire family. We have all grown to love in a way that is beyond words.

My children have developed a deep compassion for the vulnerable. We must understand that we are not owners of our children or any children—we are stewards. They are entrusted to us for a short time, and our role is to show them the love of God and make the greatest impact we can with the time we are given. Only then do we realize our full potential.”

Despite the challenges, the rewards of fostering far outweigh the difficulties. Watching a child blossom under your care, witnessing their resilience and spirit, and knowing you played a role in shaping their future—there’s truly nothing like it. Even on the hardest days, the love and purpose found in fostering is unmatched.

FAQs about Fostering in the state of Ohio

What are the rules for fostering in Ohio?
In Ohio, foster parents must be at least 21, pass background checks, be in good physical and mental health, have adequate space, and complete training and a home study. Specific rules are in place to ensure the safety and well-being of foster children.

How long does it take to be a foster parent in Ohio?
The licensing process, including training, interviews, background checks, and a home study, typically takes three to six months in Ohio. The timeline can vary depending on paperwork completion and scheduling of home visits.

What disqualifies you from being a foster parent in Ohio?
You may be disqualified from fostering in Ohio if you have a history of certain criminal offenses, child abuse or neglect, or other issues that could impact the safety of a child. Health concerns that prevent you from caring for a child may also be disqualifying. Your caseworker will discuss specific concerns during the home study process.

How much do foster parents get paid in Ohio?
There’s no signal answer to this. With 88 counties in Ohio, there are different rates, and the amount also depends on the level of care each child needs. Simply put, foster parents receive financial support to help cover the necessities for the children in their care.

You’ll be given a monthly stipend to help cover the costs of caring for a child and be reimbursed for training when becoming licensed with Bair.

Are You Ready To Make A Difference?

Becoming a foster parent is a powerful way to change a child’s life—and your own. If you’ve ever considered fostering, now is the time to take the first step. The Bair Foundation provides extensive training, resources, and ongoing support to help foster parents navigate their journey with confidence. By opening your home to a child in need, you become part of a compassionate network dedicated to making a lasting difference.

Whether fostering leads to reunification or adoption, the love and stability you provide will shape a child’s future forever.

Contact The Bair Foundation today to learn more about becoming a foster parent in Ohio through one of our information sessions. So you can provide the love, stability, and nurturing a child needs to heal, grow, and thrive. We cannot promise that it will be an easy journey, but with Bair, you’re never alone.

Together, we can make a difference for Ohio’s most vulnerable children. Will you join us?