Foster Care and Adoption

Woman with child Portage County Child & Adult Protective Services appreciates your interest in becoming a foster parent. Foster families partner with the agency and a child's birth family to help ensure children are safe and well cared for. There is a great need in our community for foster families.   

Foster parents should have a commitment to caring for children and being a strong role model for them. They should also be willing to accept children as they are and provide them with strong support. A foster parent can be single, married, divorced, or widowed, but must be at least 21 years old. Foster parents must also:  

  • Be licensed by the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (this involves 36 hours of required pre-service training, including earning certification in pediatric & adult CPR)
  • Complete an application for child placement
  • Complete a home study with every resident in the home
  • Obtain a physician medical statement for each resident
  • Complete a criminal background check for each resident age 18 or older
  • Have the home inspected for safety and fire, assuring its structural integrity
  • Ensure there are no physical, emotional or mental health conditions that may endanger a child  

Please call 330-297-3690 or email Shawn Kelly for more information about fostering and adoption.

More information is also available in this brochure.