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877-PC-CARES (722-2737)

Main Services Area

Behavioral Health

Pacific Clinics delivers high-quality behavioral health and social services to advance health equity and well-being for children, adults and families. Learn more about our life-affirming services offered on-site, at home, virtual and in the community.

Los Angeles

Peer Support and Rehabilitation
Prevention and Early Intervention Services
Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Family Resource Center
Intensive Community-Based Services and Wraparound
Neurodevelopmental Services
Military Services & Family Support Program
Peer Support and Rehabilitation
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Success First Early Wraparound Program

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC)
Individualized Complex Care Services
Neurodevelopmental Services
Intensive Community-Based Services and Wraparound
Mobile Crisis Services
Placement Supportive Services
Prevention and Early Intervention Services
Substance Use Disorder Treatment
First 5
Hope Program and Katie A Program

ACT Program
Bright Beginnings
Hope Program and Katie A Program

Flexible Integrated Treatment (FIT)
Mobile Crisis Services

Neurodevelopmental Services
Outpatient Mental Health Services
Psychiatric and Medication Administration

Crisis Intervention and Support
Family Services

Family
Educational Programs
Educational Programs provide students with the skills they need to live successful lives. Our robust programs include early childhood development, classroom consultations in partnership with school districts, adult continuing education programs and parent workshops.
Support Services

Support Services offer various programs to address social determinants of health, including housing and employment coaching and placement, among other critically needed services.

You Can Provide a Stable Home to Ensure a Youth’s Future

Foster care is one of the critical programs provided by Pacific Clinics and fulfilled by our dedicated resource parents (formerly known as foster parents). Thousands of children and youth in California of varying ages, backgrounds and levels of need are looking for a temporary home with a nurturing family. Resource families provide the stable, supportive environment these youth need to be successful in school, their communities and beyond.

Pacific Clinics makes it easy to apply with our online Foster Care and Adoption portal. The application includes a criminal record statement, agreement forms, and policy and procedure forms. Once completed, a resource family recruiter will contact you to set up an informational interview, start a family and child profile, complete a background check, and, finally, a home study interview is conducted to evaluate your readiness to foster. Your resource family recruiter will also coordinate with you to complete all required training, such as CPR and First Aid. The entire process typically takes between two to four months to complete.

Start My Application

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Contact a Foster Care or Adoption Recruiter in Your Area

Bay Area Region
Capital Region
Responsibilities

Core Competencies of Resource Parents

  • Protect and nurture children
  • Meet the child’s developmental needs and address developmental delays
  • Support relationships between children and their biological families
  • Connect children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime
  • Work as a member of a professional team
It’s not uncommon to have reservations about fostering or adopting a child or youth. Many of the families who now serve as resource parents with us had numerous questions in the beginning. Our resource family recruiters are happy to speak with you over the phone or in person to answer your questions. Once you begin your application, a resource family recruiter will reach out to schedule a time to discuss your concerns directly.
Eligibility

Who Can Be a Resource Parent?

Any person over 21, regardless of race, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression, or whether they are married, single, or part of any other family structure is able to foster or adopt a child or youth. There are also no income restrictions, provided the resource parent can financially support a child or youth. A resource parent should be ready and able to provide a stable, loving family and home, whether that be in a house or apartment. Space: The child/children you are fostering may either have their own room or share with another child within five years of age. Financial stability: Current, stable income to cover monthly household finances. Background clearance: Must be fingerprinted and pass background check with no criminal history in the past five years.
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Adoption

Beyond Foster Care

Pacific Clinics’ adoption program helps California children and youth up to age 19 who are placed in foster care find permanent homes. There are no adoption fees for applicants wishing to adopt a child in the foster care system. Families who adopt through foster care are also eligible to receive monthly adoption assistance payments and Medi-Cal benefits until the child turns 18.

We welcome California families and parents over the age of 21 of any ethnicity, race, religion, gender, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, or income level. Adoptive parents can be single, married, couples, or domestic partners.

The process for adoption through foster care begins with applying to become a resource parent through our online portal. If you’d prefer to speak directly to a resource family recruiter, you can use the map at the top of the page to find the nearest Pacific Clinics adoption office.

The first step of the application includes collecting information such as a criminal record statement, agreement forms and policy and procedure forms. Once completed, a resource family recruiter will contact you to set up an informational interview, start a family and child profile, complete a background check, and finally, a home study is conducted to evaluate your readiness to adopt.

A few of the things we’re assessing during the home study include:

  • Is the home safe for adoption?
  • Your ability and motivation to parent a child
  • Attend family-focused workshops
  • Do all your house family members share the same excitement and goals of
    expanding your family?
  • Is there adequate room for the new child? This does not require a large home.
    We only want to ensure each child has a separate bed, closet space, and chest of drawers, among other requirements.
  • Although not required, do/does the applicant(s) have experience with children?
  • Other information pertaining to your background, family history, health, and
    financial information

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Frequently Asked Questions

Foster Care

What is a resource family (formerly foster family)?

A resource family, or resource parent, is the new name used in the state of California instead of foster parent or family. A resource parent is trained and approved to provide foster care and adoptive services to youth and young adults. There are many kinds of caregivers, depending on what the needs are, and the term “resource parent” can be used universally. Resource families may refer to foster parents, foster-to-adopt families, and kinship caregivers, who are all critical partners in providing care to youth and young adults in California.

The role of a resource parent is to provide a safe, stable and loving home for a foster child or young adult while they are displaced from their biological family. There are around 60,000 youth and young adults in foster care in California under the age of 18. Roughly half of them will have substance use issues by 24 years old, and fewer than a quarter of them will go to college. Resource parents and families provide an environment to reverse these trends by providing a stable environment in which the foster youth can flourish.

The process to becoming a resource parent is straightforward and we’re here to support you every step of the way. You can contact your local Pacific Clinics office to be put in touch with a resource family recruiter or apply online to begin the process. Potential resource parents complete an application including a criminal background check and fingerprinting to ensure financial stability. Next, you will attend an individualized orientation and participate in training. The final step is a home study interview to ensure the safety and well-being of the youth in your home.

Potential resource parents will also obtain CPR and First Aid certification and fingerprint clearances. Remember, our job is to support you every step of the way through the formal approval process to becoming a resource parent. You can start the process by contacting your local resource family recruiter or filling out an online application.

Start My Foster Care Application

Approval to foster a youth generally takes between two and four months. The approval team guides resource family applicants throughout the process to make it as smooth as possible.

Resource parents will incur only minimal expense directly associated with the approval process. Typical expenses of fingerprinting fees and CPR and First Aid Certification can be reimbursed after the youth has joined the family.

Resource parents receive funds for providing care and resources for the youth. The rates start at $1,000 per month, depending on the youth’s needs. This rate will also vary based on your location. We want to provide you with the resources you need to ensure a successful placement with the youth and financially support you to make this happen.

There are several types of foster care offered by Pacific Clinics. The most common type is Standard Foster Care. Other types include Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC) for youth with a higher level of need, respite care for emergency short-term placements of youth, and AB12 Extended Care for young adults aged 18-21. There are also Professional Parents, who provide 60-day to 6-months of care, focusing on stabilizing youth before they join a family.

Generally, yes, though there are many factors to consider. Each child must have a separate bed, closet space, and a chest of drawers, among other requirements. Please speak to a resource family recruiter or begin the Foster Care application process now to learn more.

Generally, yes, though there are many factors to consider. Each child must have a separate bed, closet space, and a chest of drawers, among other requirements. Please speak to a resource family recruiter or begin the Foster Care application process now to learn more.

The ultimate decision on any child joining your family rests with you. From the beginning of the process, we gather as much information as possible to determine which youth would best fit into your family. Once you are certified and ready for a youth to join your family, and once we have a youth who we assess to be a good match, we will share as much information as possible about the youth and address any questions you may have.

Bringing together your family and the youth is the most important aspect of the foster care process. We strive to build a strong working relationship with our families to ensure this is successful.

Absolutely! You can work full or part time, be retired, or anything in between. All that matters is that you have the ability and desire to care for a youth in the foster care system and provide a safe, stable home life for the child or children in your care.

Adults 21 and over can apply to become a resource parent. As long as you have the desire and ability to care for youth in the foster care system and provide a stable, loving family, you can apply to be a resource parent.

Youth in foster care range in age from infants to 21 years old.

Yes, however you must be a concurrent foster home. Concurrent planning means that you are open to fostering a youth who may be reunified with family or relatives. All Pacific Clinics’ resource families are approved to be concurrent, so if you choose to become one through our program, you will be eligible to adopt. Only concurrent foster homes will be considered to care for infants.

Being a resource parent is a highly rewarding role. However, we understand that there are challenges that all families face when welcoming a new youth or young adult into to their home.

There are many stigmas surrounding foster care that can be hard to combat and overcome. Handling the trauma and behavioral challenges of the youth in foster care can seem daunting, but Pacific Clinics is your partner while you adjust and learn how to work with the youth place in your care.

It can often be an emotional challenge to have a youth or young adult return home after bonding and growing close to them. We also find that many resource parents have trouble recognizing when they need to take a break and take advantage of our respite care. This is especially important to avoid burning out. 

Respite care is short-term care that is either planned or emergency care of a child or youth. Respite care gives resource/foster parents a break from the 24/7 job of being a parent. Often resource parents provide respite for other resource parents.

The length of care will depend on the situation specific to each youth and young adult placed in your care, but it can range anywhere from only a few days of respite care to an average of 6-9 months. In some cases, it can continue all the way through to a permanent placement, should all parties involved agree it is the best for the youth.

Each type of foster care will be different, but the goal is to provide a safe and stable home for the youth on a short-term, temporary basis until a reunification with biological family can occur, or another permanent, home-like setting can be arranged.

Start My Foster Care Application

Other helpful resources:

Adoption

What does foster-to-adopt mean?

Foster care adoption is the process of adopting a child from the foster care system, and assuming all rights and responsibilities for that child, as if he or she was your child by birth.

Youth in foster care range in age from infants to 21 years old.

Concurrent planning means that you are willing to take placement of a child who may be reunified with family, placed with a relative, or available to adopt. Usually the outcome for the child is not known at the time a child is placed in foster care. Being open to concurrent planning means that you will be willing to provide foster care to a child, regardless of his or her court plan. Many counties are setting a goal that every child that comes into foster care will be placed in a concurrent home. Young children who come into the foster care system are often placed in concurrent planning homes. It is important to note that many counties will not consider a family for placement of a concurrent planning child if the family does not have an approved, adoption-level home study.

The first step is to become certified as a resource parent. A resource parent is certified to provide foster care and to adopt the child(ren) in their care.

Start My Application 

There is no clear answer because there are so many factors involved. The more open your family is to age, sex, ethnicity, and siblings, the more children you will be able to consider for placement which will lead to a placement sooner.

Families who have children in placement can wait anywhere between six months to two years before an adoption is finalized.

All adopted foster children are eligible for the Adoption Assistance Program. It consists of Medi-Cal insurance and a monthly stipend (which is agreed upon between the family and the county social worker) to help with the expense of raising a child. For Pacific Clinics families this rate will most likely be lower than the foster care stipend. Most counties are aware that the trauma experienced by children does not simply disappear after the finalization hearing, and as a result, they have created post-adoption services to assist families in crisis or to find resources in the community for adopted children. In addition, Pacific Clinics has many in-home and mental health services that your children or family may be eligible for in your area. Post adoption support groups are also available for families that have adopted through Pacific Clinics.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Contact a Foster Care or Adoption Recruiter in Your Area