SERVICES

Children who need foster care or relative care through DSHS are temporarily separated from their families due to abuse or neglect. The children:

• Range in age.
• Boys and girls.
• May be part of a sibling group (2 or more).
• Represent diverse ethnic and cultural populations.
• May have medical, mental and/or physical health issues.
• May have developmental delays.
• May have developmental disabilities.
• May have been exposed to drug and alcohol use/abuse.

All foster children are affected by the separation from their family and sometimes this stress and worry show up in their behavior. Some children have never learned to live within the usual routines of family life and will need extra amounts of understanding and patience.