Building Blocks for Community Enrichment, Inc. believes that quality placements plays a major role in the success of the child. That's why we consider the needs and personality of each child when matching him or her with our carefully selected foster parents. Everyone involved will be oriented to the situation so no one is left in the dark. As a foster parent, you will be responsible for the daily needs of the child. These include food, clothing, transportation, recreation, and education. We adopt the philosophy that it takes a whole community to raise a well-rounded kid, so we encourage foster families to participate in community clubs and activities. In addition, we expect our foster families to model appropriate skills to children and natural parents by the ways in which they interact with the children in their care.
Successful Recruits Must:
1. Be at least 21 years of age
2. Have a vehicle and valid driver's license
3. Have a licensable home
4. Be willing to recieve 30 hours of pre-services training
5. Be accepting of diverse ethnic and family cultures
6. Have high moral character
7. Have strong community ties
8. Want to help children
9. Be willing to work with Building Blocks staff towards the foster child's reunification with his/her
biological family
In addition, successful applicants must be willing to perform all necessary duties associated with the program including participation in ongoing training sessions, providing basic care and supervision for the foster child, working as an integral part of the treatment team, working with the community, working with the child's natural parents, and notifying program staff of any emergencies. Each is a central component of the Building Blocks program. Specific details will be identified at the time of training.
Building Blocks Provides Foster Parents:
1. 30 hours of pre-service training for foster parents and respite care families
2. Ongoing training and supervision
3. 24 hour call assistance
4. Monthly activities for foster families/children
5. Monthly financial reimbursement
Benefits of Becoming a Foster Parent
Foster Parenting can benefit you emotionally, mentally, and financially. More importantly, you could make all of the difference in the life of a child. At Building Blocks for Community Enrichment, we have the resources to teach foster parents the skills they need and offer them the support they want to assist in the parenting of foster children.
If you think you can't be a foster parent, think again. You don't have to be married or be a stay-at-home parent. However, you do have to be patient, loving, and willing to learn proven parenting techniques that will help you teach your foster children to succeed in his her world.
To Learn more about becoming a Foster Parent, contact Building Blocks for Community Enrichment at 402-336-4841.
Different Types of Foster Care
According to the Nebraska Health and Human Services System foster care is a safety service for children when they are unable to remain safely at home. Children are provided with a substitute or supplemental family life experience in an HHS (Health and Human Services) System approved or licensed home for a planned, temporary period of time. The parents of these children receive support in working toward reunifying their family or an alternate permanent plan for their child.
The primary goal for children in foster care is to return them to their families. Foster parents have the responsibility of helping children and their parents achieve this goal.
Types of Foster Care
Traditional Foster Care- Providing for a child's physical, emotional, and social needs over a temporary period of time until a permanent living situation can be established. The support system includes a case manager from the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, but not the support of another child placing agency, like Building Blocks. . Foster Parents of this type work directly with the state case manager and are reimbursed by the state directly for care of these foster children. Very young children, ages 0 - 5, are most often in this type of foster care but children 19 years or younger can also be in traditional foster care.
Agency-Based Foster Care- The same as the previous type, however the child is in need of additional support systems. These youth are placed in a foster family and have a state case manager, however another trained professional is assigned to the youth to work with the foster family to incorporate and maintain goals and a service plan.
Emergency Foster Care: The availablity for immediate placement of a child on a 24-hour basis to serve children in crisis. This care can last a few hours to a maximum of 30 days. These children have been removed from their home by law enforcement or the courts and need an alternative place to stay while an assessment is made of the home situation. Building Blocks workers will assist with the placement of and support of these children, but often little information is available at the time of placement. Calls will be made for placement at all times of the day and night.
Fos-Adopt: When there is a possibility that the child may be available for adoption, the foster family accepts the child on a temporary foster care basis but will adopt if the child becomes legally free for adoption. All ages of youth are eligible for fos-adopt, but most common with children age 14 and under.
Respite Care: Providing care for a child so that the foster parent(s) can take a break. Children placed through Building Blocks often need respite care. Building Blocks also places children from other agencies, or directly from the state, into licensed foster homes on a respite basis. | 
