Foster Parents

Ebenezer Christian Children's Home seeks the opportunity to partner with individuals in our region of North Carolina that feel called to love and serve children placed in foster care.  Ebenezer's foster parents are compassionate individuals who care deeply for the physical and spiritual well-being of each child placed in their care.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent with Ebenezer, your first step is to call our office and set up an interview with one of our Foster Care Team members.  This interview gives prospective foster parents the opportunity to ask questions about the ECCH Foster Care Program, and will allow our staff to learn more about each individual and family.  After the interview process, prospective foster parents are required to complete the 30 hour MAPP (Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting) class offered by the Ebenezer staff.  The MAPP class provides a thorough explanation of the foster parent role and expectations.  This class gives each person the tools needed to decide if fostering is right for them.  During the MAPP class, prospective foster parents have an opportunity to share the age and gender that they feel best equipped to serve.   Ebenezer typically offers MAPP in the spring and fall in 3 different locations: Wilkes, High Point, and Robbins.  After completing the class and foster care application, the state licensing process takes approximately 3 months.

When Ebenezer receives an approved state license, foster parents are ready to start the foster care journey.  The foster care license is valid for two years.  During this time, foster parents are encouraged to complete training that is relevant to the foster care process.  The ECCH Foster Care Team sends educational opportunities each month to all foster parents.  These educational opportunities might be academic articles pertaining to foster care, webinars, or seminars that foster parents have an opportunity to attend.  At the time of re-licensing, all foster parents must have completed 20 hours of continuing education. 

Ebenezer Christian Children's Home receives foster care placement calls from counties across our region of North Carolina.  When our team receives a placement request, our staff works diligently to match the needs and information about each child with a foster parent that has indicated they would like to serve these needs.  When the Foster Care Team contacts a foster parent about the placement of a foster child in their home, the Ebenezer staff will share all the information they possibly can with the foster parent.  The foster parent can choose to accept the placement of the child in their home, or choose to deny the placement if they do not feel equipped to serve the child's needs.  The Ebenezer Foster Care Team does not hold a decision to deny placement against a foster parent, but supports each foster parent's decision to be comfortable with the children placed in their home.

All foster parents licensed through our agency are assigned a social worker from our staff.   This social worker encourages and supports foster parents throughout their foster care journey.  The foster care social worker visits all foster parents in their home every three months to answer any questions about foster care and offer support.  This quarterly visit is centered around the foster family and their needs.  If a child is placed in a foster home, the Ebenezer social worker visits with the child and foster family once a month to monitor the child’s progress and provide support.  Ebenezer social workers are available throughout the month for support via phone calls, emails or texts to ensure that the needs of the foster child and foster family are met.  Foster parents are a highly valued, precious resource and the Ebenezer Foster Care Team always seeks to make the foster care journey as smooth as possible.