How to Become a Foster Parent in Ohio (2026)

As of December 2025, there were 14,223 kids in the Ohio foster care system who needed a safe, stable, and loving home. 

Becoming a foster parent is one of the best ways to support the state’s youth during a tricky, transitional period in their lives. The state relies on foster parents to help children while their birth parents work toward reunifying their families. 

If you want to become a foster parent in Ohio, you’ll have to put in a significant effort. That said, with the right information and support, it is a clear and manageable journey. 

To help, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to foster care in Ohio. This page offers step-by-step instructions toward becoming a licensed foster parent in the Buckeye State, as well as information about financial support, the process, requirements, and official resources. 

The Need for Foster Homes in Ohio

During the 2024-2025 school year, there were 14,455 students in Ohio’s foster care system. 

The Ohio Department of Children and Youth relies on foster parents to provide temporary care for the state’s youth. Children end up in the foster care system when the state has determined that it isn’t in their best interest to be with their birth parents for the time being. The goal is always reunification, but foster parents play a key role during a difficult time in these children’s lives. 

According to a December 2025 report from WOUB — an NPR affiliate based in Athens, Ohio — there were fewer kids in Ohio’s foster care system that month than in any month since July 2016. However, costs in the system were also rising. The state still needs foster parents to help make the system work. 

Foster Parent Requirements in Ohio

Here’s a quick list of what conditions you have to meet to become a foster parent in Ohio. 

• Age: You must be at least 18 years old to foster in Ohio. 
• Residency: You can own or rent your home, but you must be a legal resident of Ohio to be a foster parent in the Buckeye State.
• Marital Status: You can be married, single, divorced, or widowed and become a foster parent in Ohio. The state’s official website also says that “all orientations are acceptable,” and a 1990 Ohio Supreme Court ruling actually affirmed LGBTQ+ rights to adopt within the state.
• Financial Stability: The household must have enough money to pay for everyone’s basic needs before adding a foster child. 
• Health: A trained medical professional has to sign a sworn medical statement saying that each member of the household is healthy enough to care for a foster child. 
• Background Checks: Everyone older than 18 in the home must pass a criminal background and child abuse and neglect registry check. In some cases, if you have something in your past that you think might disqualify you, you can talk through it with the foster agency. 
• Home Environment: Your home has to pass a basic safety inspection. It must also have enough space for a foster child and their belongings, and each child has to have their own bed. Boys and girls over five must be in separate bedrooms. 
• Training: You must complete at least 24 hours of state-approved pre-placement training before you can become a foster parent. 

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

1. Educate Yourself: Unlike many states, Ohio’s official foster care website does not mention online orientations in which potential foster parents can ask questions about the process. Instead, prospective foster parents should do their own research (like reading this guide)!
2. Choose an Agency: DCY provides a search tool of licensed child-placing/foster care agencies. You can use that tool to find an agency that feels like a good match for you. Then you can fill out that agency’s inquiry form, after which they will reach out to you. 
3. Participate in Pre-Service Training: All potential foster parents in Ohio must complete a training program that consists of at least 24 hours of coursework. If you are pursuing family foster care, the class includes 30 hours of coursework. The state operates its own course: the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program (OCWTP), which covers basic foster care knowledge and agency rules. 
4. Complete an Application: The application process is different for each agency — you might fill out an application, before, during, or after completing the OCWTP. The application usually consists of basic information and a bit of your history. 
5. Complete the Home Study: A home study is a collaborative process in which a social worker gets to know your family to see if you’re ready for a foster child. In Ohio, the parts of a home study include visits and interviews, medical and financial statements, background checks, talking to references you provide, and making sure your home is safe. 
6. Receive Your License: After completing a home study, getting your license is the final step that lets you welcome a foster child into your home. This license is good for two years. 
7. Complete Continuing Education: Every two years, you must complete 30 hours of ongoing training to continue as a foster parent. If you are caring for a child getting specialized treatment, you have to complete 45 hours every two years. 

Financial Support: The Ohio Foster Care Stipend

In Ohio, as in all states, foster parents receive a stipend to help cover their foster children's needs. This is not a salary, but rather a non-taxable reimbursement to take care of your foster child and pay for essentials like food, clothing, and transportation. They can also sometimes get reimbursed for mileage. 

"If you're doing it right," reads the state's official foster parent payment website, "foster parenting shouldn't be a way to make extra money each month. The stipends should go toward caring for children, including their basic needs and activities."

Ohio awards foster parents a per diem rate, paid out each month. Ohio is unique in that rates are different depending on the agency through which you foster. If your child has special circumstances, you may receive extra money. 

For example, in Clermont County, traditional foster parents receive a stipend of between $20 and $45 per day depending on their foster child's age and needs. 

All foster children in Ohio also receive full medical and dental coverage – including doctor's visits, therapy, and prescription medicines – through the Ohio Department of Medicaid. 

Adopting from Foster Care in Ohio

DCY always hopes to reunite children in Ohio's foster care system with their birth parents. However, that isn't always possible. In some cases, the state determines that it isn't in the child's best interest to go back to their birth families. In those cases, foster children often become legally eligible for adoption. 

If a foster child has already lived in your home for six months and is eligible for adoption, the process is streamlined in Ohio. You do not have to resubmit information you provided in your original application or complete another home study. If you pass a background check and if it's determined the adoption is in the child's best interest, a court can issue the adoption order. 

Children adopted from foster care are often eligible for a post-adoption subsidy to help with their ongoing needs. If your adopted child has special needs, you can seek funding through DCY's Post Adoption Special Services Subsidy program. 

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

Get Started: Ohio Foster Care Resources

Ready to become a foster parent in Ohio?

While the process might seem complicated at first, with the right information, you can start looking after the Buckeye State's youth. DCY maintains an official website full of resources, as well as a search tool of licensed foster care agencies. 

• Official State Agency: Ohio Department of Children and Youth
• Website: https://fosterandadopt.dcy.ohio.gov/foster-care 
• Phone Number: (844)-234-KIDS (5437)

Find a local licensing agency or county office near you. 

Sources

• https://fosterandadopt.dcy.ohio.gov/foster-care/becoming-a-foster-parent/foster-parent-requirements 
• https://familyequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/36-Ohio-Snapshot.pdf 
• https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/home-study-requirements-prospective-foster-parents-ohio/ 
• https://fosterandadopt.dcy.ohio.gov/foster-care/becoming-a-foster-parent/how-to-become-a-foster-parent-in-ohio 
• https://ohiocaps.org/ocwtp/training-requirements/ 
• https://childrenandyouth.ohio.gov/for-families/children-services-foster-kinship-adoption/children-services-foster-kinship-adoption 
• https://fosterandadopt.dcy.ohio.gov/ohio-childcare-needs/service-provider-directory
• https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student-Supports/Foster-Care  
• https://woub.org/2025/12/19/number-of-kids-foster-care-ohio-nine-year-low-costs-soaring/ 
• https://medicaid.ohio.gov/ 
• https://www.buckeyeranch.org/our-services/child-welfare/become-a-foster-parent/faqs/ 
• https://clermontforkids.org/clermont-county-foster-care-per-diem-rates/