Becoming a foster family through The CALL

If you’re interested in becoming a foster home to a child in need, The CALL can help streamline the process. Karen Langston, county coordinator for The CALL, said here’s what you should know:

To be a foster family through The CALL, you must be an active member of a church congregation and have a pastoral reference. “It lets us know that A, we’re plugging the church in and B, that our foster families are almost vetted within their community,” Langston said. A prospective foster family would then attend an information meeting with representatives of The CALL, who work with the Department of Human Services to do the full background check.

The CALL provides training in a streamlined fashion, using two full weekends to go through all of the state materials, instead of a process taking several weeks through the state, Langston said. “In one month, we can get a family done with their training,” she said. Once all materials are gathered and training is complete, Langston turns over a complete file to DHS and a home study is scheduled.

It takes about one month to write the report from the home study before a decision is made on getting a new foster home open. “We can get a home open in four to six months,” Lansgton said. “There are no cracks in that system … I personally will follow your paperwork every step of the way.”

For more information, contact The CALL at 870-8142809 or unioncounty@thecallinarkansas.org.