How to Become a Foster Parent in California

While it’s tough to find an exact number, there are at least 43,000 kids in California’s foster care system — including 25,000 in Los Angeles County alone. California needs caring parents who can look after the state’s youth during difficult, transitional periods in their lives. 

While becoming a foster parent is a journey that involves several legal requirements, with the right information, you can get it done. This guide is a comprehensive resource covering California foster parent requirements, including how to foster, how to adopt a foster child, and how much the stipend is. We’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to become a foster parent and start helping children in the Golden State. 

The Need for Foster Homes in California

The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is the official state agency responsible for foster care and child welfare in the Golden State. Foster parents are key elements of the CDSS system, providing temporary care during transitional and often challenging periods in California children’s lives. 

Children end up in the foster care system in California because CDSS has determined it’s not in their best interest to be with their biological parents for the time being. In these cases, the main goal for CDSS is always to reunify children with their birth parents. Foster parents are the backbone of this system, providing temporary care until reunification can become a reality. 

CDSS currently has a high need for foster parents who can care for adolescents and sibling groups. A high percentage of foster children in California are Black or Latino. The department also needs foster homes that can serve as emergency shelters. 

Foster Parent Requirements in California

Requirements can vary by the county you live in, but here are typical requirements to become a foster parent in California. “Resource family” is a broad term that the state uses for foster parents and other caregivers.

• Age: According to California regulations, foster parents must be at least 18 years old. However, some licensing agencies — such as San Bernardino County Children and Family Services — prefer foster parents with “10 years of adulthood.” 
• Residency: You can own your home or rent it, but in order to foster in California, you have to be a state resident. 
• Marital Status: You can be single or married and apply to be a foster parent in California. Anyone over 18 who lives in the home will be part of the application and approval process. 
• Financial Stability: By California law, to be foster parents, you must make enough money to “ensure the stability and financial security of the family. 
• Health: All household members must pass an evaluation of their mental and physical health, as well as of their alcohol and other substance use and history of family or domestic violence. 
• Background Checks: In California, all adults in the potential foster home must pass state and federal criminal background checks, including a child abuse and neglect registry check.
• Home Environment: By California law, your home must meet these requirements:
  • No more than two kids can share a bed.
  • Children of different genders can’t share bedrooms unless they are both under five years old.
  • Children can’t share a room with an adult, unless they are infants.
  • Each bedroom has to actually be a bedroom (not an attic, basement, closet, etc.).
  • Each kid has to have their own bed.
  • Each house has to have at least one smoke detector in each sleeping hallway, at least one carbon monoxide detector, and at least one fully equipped bathroom (toilet, sink, tub/shower). 
  • Foster parents can’t smoke indoors. 
• Training: Foster parents in California must complete 12 hours of caregiver training before they can get approved. Active foster parents must complete eight hours of continuing education training each year. We discuss more specifics of this training in the next section. 

How to Become a Foster Parent in California: The Step-by-Step Process

While requirements can be different based on what county you lived in, here are the general steps you have to complete to become a foster parent in California:

1. Fill out an Application: The process generally starts with filling out an online application, either through CDSS or a child-placing agency in your home county or city. 
2. Attend an Orientation: At the orientation, which is often available online, you learn more about becoming a foster parent (or “resource family” in California) and can ask questions about the process. 
3. Complete Background Checks: Potential foster parents in California must complete fingerprint-based background checks, often submitting them electronically. Usually, this process involves state and federal background checks and neglect and abuse registry checks. 
4. Participate in Pre-Service Training: All potential foster parents in California must complete 12 hours of pre-approval Resource Family Approval (RFA) training, in addition to eight more hours of training after they are approved but before a child gets placed with them. Covered topics may include the effects of trauma, foster child rights, cultural needs, education, laws, and services and supports. 
5. Complete the Home Study/Family Evaluation: An RFA social worker will visit your house just to make sure it meets basic health and safety requirements. This social worker will also conduct a family evaluation to make sure that you are ready to host foster children. 
6. Receive Your License: Receiving your license is the final step that officially qualifies you to welcome children into your home!

Financial Support: The California Foster Care Stipend

In California, foster parents — or "resource families" — receive a non-taxable reimbursement to cover their foster children's needs. Keep in mind that this payment is not a salary. 

As of March 2025, California paid the following monthly foster care rates. The state pays based on the level of care that the child requires, not based on their age. The majority of California's foster children require Level One care. 

• Level 1: $1,258
• Level 2: $1,399
• Level 3: $1,543
• Level 4: $1,683
• Intensive Services: $3,248

All foster children in California get full medical and dental coverage through Medi-Cal, the state's Medicaid program. Foster children who turn 18 and age out of the system can also enroll in the Former Foster Youth program to receive Medi-Cal benefits until they turn 26. 

Adopting from Foster Care in California

When children enter the foster care system in California, CDSS always hopes to eventually reunite them with their birth parents. That said, when CDSS determines that reunification isn't in the child's best interest, it isn't always possible. In those cases, foster children often become legally free for adoption.

According to California law, the adoption process can be streamlined for foster parents who have housed a child for at least six months. The approval process will also the following elements:

• Background checks
• Evaluation of financial stability
• Interviews with family members
• Making sure that the foster parent hasn't abused or neglected the child 
• Making sure the foster parent can support the child's physical, mental, and educational needs

Most children adopted from foster care are also eligible for some post-adoption funds to help foster parents meet their ongoing needs. California's Adoption Assistance Program determines who is eligible and how much the stipend is. 

For more details, see our guide to adoption in California. 

Get Started: California Foster Care Resources

Ready to get started? While navigating the California foster care system might seem difficult at first — especially since requirements can vary by county — it is doable with the right information. Remember, you are not alone in this process. 

If you're ready to begin, you can start your journey through CDSS. 

• Official State Agency: California Department of Social Services
• Website: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/foster-care 
• Phone Number: (916) 651-7465

Find a local licensing agency or county office near you. 

Sources

• https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/foster-care/foster-care-and-adoptive-resource/frequently-asked-questions 
• https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/foster-care 
• https://cfs.sbcounty.gov/foster-care-faqs/ 
• https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/home-study-requirements-prospective-foster-parents-california/ 
• https://dcfs.lacounty.gov/caregivers/become-a-foster-parent/#:~:text=Prospective%20Resource%20Families%20are%20required,will%20be%20provided%20to%20you. 
• https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/adoptions/adoption-assistance-program 
• https://yolofostercare.com/resources/foster-caregiver-placement-rates/#:~:text=The%20State%20of%20California%20has%20four%20levels,arrives%2045%20to%2060%20days%20after%20placement. 
• https://dpss.lacounty.gov/en/health/foster.html 
• https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/eligibility/Pages/FFY.aspx 
• https://fosterlove.com/blog/a-snapshot-of-foster-care-statistics-by-state-2025/
• https://www.clccal.org/resources/foster-care-facts/