Foster Care Policies

Travel within state boundaries is permitted without permission. Travel out of the state for under 24 hours is also permitted without permission. Any out-of-state travel lasting more than 24 hours requires prior approval from the CUA caseworker and resource support worker ideally with 2-4 weeks notice.  It is important to provide plenty of notice so that any parent visitations or caseworker check-ins can be rearranged appropriately.

Birth parents have the right to request that their children remain local when their foster family travels out-of-state.  When a foster family travels out-of-state without their foster child, the child enters respite care and stays with another foster family for the duration of the trip. 

Travel out of the country is not permitted. 

It is the responsibility of the resource family to provide transportation for their foster children.  If transportation is provided by care, resource parents are required to have a current driver’s license and auto insurance on file with their foster care agency.

For school-age children, it may be possible to have bus routes changed by contacting the school.

Teens are permitted to transport themselves via car, bus, train, or other public transportation.

Any regular care-givers should undergo the same background checks as the foster parents including child abuse clearance, PA criminal background check, and FBI clearance.

If a baby-sitter is required on a case-by-case basis for a short period of time (several hours), a background check is not required.  

Anyone caring for a foster child overnight requires a full background check.