How to Become a Foster Parent in San Diego: Training and Home Study

To become a foster parent in San Diego, you apply through the County’s Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) under California’s Resource Family Approval (RFA) process. That process has five moving parts: a written application, a fingerprint-based background check, at least 12 hours of pre-approval training, a home safety inspection, and a series of in-depth interviews with a social worker. California law requires the whole thing to be completed within 120 calendar days of a finished application, and the same approval qualifies you to foster, care for a relative child, or adopt.1California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 16519.5 – Resource Family Approval Program

Who Can Apply

The baseline requirements are simple. You must be at least 18 and a California resident. Single adults, married couples, and registered domestic partners all qualify. You don’t need to own your home. A lease, mortgage, or comparable proof that you have a legal right to live where you live is enough.

The requirement people misunderstand most often is money. California law is explicit: there is no minimum income requirement, and an applicant who will rely on foster care payments to cover the added expenses of caring for a child cannot be denied for that reason alone.1California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 16519.5 – Resource Family Approval Program What the agency wants to see is that your household is stable enough to meet its own current obligations. The foster care payment is meant to cover the child.

You do not need an empty bedroom sitting ready today, though the home has to meet space and safety standards before a child is placed. Every adult who lives in the home or is regularly present there completes a separate background check.

Criminal Convictions That Disqualify You

Federal law sets a floor that California must follow. Certain felony convictions permanently bar approval, with no exceptions:

  • Child abuse or neglect
  • Spousal abuse
  • Crimes against children, including child pornography
  • Violent crimes, including rape, sexual assault, and homicide

A felony conviction for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense is disqualifying if the conviction occurred within the past five years.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 671 – State Plan for Foster Care and Adoption Assistance Convictions outside these categories don’t automatically end your application, but they require full disclosure and can trigger a closer review. California may impose additional restrictions beyond the federal floor.

The Application and Documents You’ll Need

Two forms sit at the center of the application. The Resource Family Application (RFA-01A) collects your biographical, employment, income, education, and housing information. The Criminal Record Statement (RFA-01B) requires full disclosure of any legal history. You complete both, and every other adult in the household completes their own RFA-01B.3California Department of Social Services. Resource Family Application – RFA 01A

The forms are available on the California Department of Social Services website or through a San Diego HHSA office. Be accurate. Discrepancies between what you write and what the background check turns up will slow the process or stop it.

Along with the two main forms, gather:

  • A health screening report from a licensed physician confirming you’re physically able to care for a child
  • Income verification, such as recent pay stubs or tax returns showing your household can meet its current obligations
  • Personal references from people who are not related to you
  • Proof of housing, such as a lease agreement or mortgage statement

The 12 Hours of Required Training

Every applicant completes at least 12 hours of pre-approval training before the home assessment phase. The curriculum is set by statute and covers the child welfare and probation systems, trauma-informed care, positive discipline, child development, cultural competency, health issues in foster care, and how to support LGBTQ+ youth.1California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 16519.5 – Resource Family Approval Program

Training also covers your role in working with the child’s biological family, the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard, and how to recognize and respond to commercial sexual exploitation of minors. The content is built around a practical reality: most children entering foster care have experienced trauma, and the adults caring for them need tools for the behaviors that follow from it.

San Diego County generally starts applicants with an HHSA orientation, then routes them into the required training hours through county-partnered programs. CPR and First Aid certification is expected for most placements, and many families take it during this phase even though it sits outside the 12-hour minimum. Completion of approved training clears you for the home assessment.

Home Safety Standards

A social worker inspects your home room by room before any placement. The standards are common-sense, but they are enforced.

  • Every child needs a dedicated bed and personal storage, such as a dresser or closet. A bedroom cannot double as a walkthrough to other parts of the home.
  • Working smoke detectors go in every bedroom and hallway. Carbon monoxide alarms go on every level, consistent with California’s residential building code.
  • Windows meant for emergency escape must be unobstructed and operable without special tools.
  • Medications, cleaning supplies, and other hazardous materials must be locked and out of children’s reach.
  • Firearms and ammunition must be stored separately in locked containers meeting California Department of Justice standards.
  • Pools and hot tubs need secure fencing with a self-latching gate.

Infant Safe Sleep Requirements

If you plan to accept infants, the home must also meet safe sleep standards. Infants sleep on a firm, flat crib mattress covered only by a fitted sheet, with nothing else in the crib for children under 12 months: no blankets, pillows, bumpers, or stuffed animals. Cribs must meet Consumer Product Safety Commission standards. Babies are placed on their backs to sleep, and the sleep environment must be smoke-free.4Child Care Technical Assistance Network. Safe Sleep Practices and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Risk Reduction Your social worker will verify the setup before an infant placement.

Background Check and Home Study

After you submit your application, several pieces move partly in parallel.

You’ll be fingerprinted through California’s Live Scan system. Prints are checked against the state Department of Justice database, the FBI’s national database, and, where applicable, the Child Abuse Central Index. With no criminal history, DOJ results generally return in about three days and FBI results in about five. A criminal record extends the timeline.5California Department of Social Services. Live Scan Application Process and Associated Fees

A social worker then conducts the home environment assessment: a physical walkthrough checking the safety standards above. It is not a white-glove test of housekeeping. The worker is looking for genuine hazards and confirming the space can safely hold a child.

The most involved piece is the psychosocial assessment. Expect multiple face-to-face interviews about your personal history, your motivation for fostering, your parenting approach, and your ability to work with the child welfare system. The social worker wants to understand how you handle stress, conflict, and the emotional weight of caring for children who may eventually leave your home.

State law requires the RFA process to reach a decision — approval, denial, or withdrawal — within 120 calendar days of a completed application.1California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 16519.5 – Resource Family Approval Program In practice, delays in documents or training can stretch it out. If a child is placed on an emergency basis before your approval is finalized, the 120-day clock runs from the placement date.

Monthly Payments and Tax Treatment

Approved resource families receive a monthly maintenance payment for each child in their care. For fiscal year 2025–26, California’s basic rate is $1,301 per month. Children with higher assessed needs are placed at elevated Level of Care rates: $1,447 for LOC 2, $1,596 for LOC 3, and $1,741 for LOC 4. The level is set by the child’s assessed needs, not the foster parent’s preference.

Under Internal Revenue Code Section 131, qualified foster care payments are excluded from your gross income entirely.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments Difficulty-of-care payments, which cover children who need extra care because of a physical, mental, or emotional condition, are also excluded. You don’t report these payments on your federal return, but keep records in case of an audit.

After You’re Approved

Approval is when San Diego HHSA can start matching you with children who need placement. You have the right to accept or decline specific placements based on your family’s capacity and the child’s needs.

To keep your approval active, California requires at least 8 hours of continuing training each year. The topics build on the pre-approval curriculum and go deeper into areas relevant to the children currently in your home.

Day to day, you operate under the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard. You can make normal decisions about school activities, sports, sleepovers, and social events without calling the agency for permission first.1California Legislative Information. California Code WIC 16519.5 – Resource Family Approval Program The authority has limits: you can’t override a court order, consent to major medical treatment beyond what’s already authorized, or make decisions with significant legal consequences. For the ordinary rhythms of raising a child, you have the same decision-making power as any other parent.

How to Get Started in San Diego

San Diego County directs prospective resource families to sdcares4kids.com for program information and next steps. You can also reach the County’s child welfare services through the KidsLine at 877-792-KIDS (5437).7County of San Diego. Child and Family Well-Being The concrete first step is attending an orientation, where agency staff walk through the process and describe the placements most needed in the county. From there you’ll receive your application forms and a training schedule, and the 120-day clock starts once your completed application is in the agency’s hands.