To become a foster parent in Tennessee, you have to be at least 21, a legal state resident for at least three consecutive months, and either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident; from there you clear criminal background checks for every adult in your household, complete the state’s TN KEY pre-service training, submit an application packet through Every Child TN, and pass a home study. The full process generally runs four to six months.1Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Training for Potential Foster Parents
Who Qualifies
The Department of Children’s Services sets a short list of baseline requirements before anything else matters. You must be 21 or older, have lived in Tennessee for at least three consecutive months, and hold U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status approved by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.2Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Training for Potential Foster Parents – Section: Minimum Requirements to Foster Marital status is not a factor. Single, married, and divorced applicants are all eligible.
Your household income has to cover your existing expenses on its own, without counting the board payments you’d receive for a foster child.3Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Tennessee DCS Administrative Policies and Procedures 16.4 – Foster Home Selection and Approval Foster reimbursement is meant for the child’s needs, not your rent, and you’ll document your income during the application.
Two exceptions to the age rule are worth knowing. If you’re applying to foster a sibling or blood relative, the minimum age drops to 18.3Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Tennessee DCS Administrative Policies and Procedures 16.4 – Foster Home Selection and Approval Some private contract agencies that handle therapeutic placements set their own minimum at 25, so ask the agency directly if you’re pursuing that path.
Background Checks for Every Adult in the Home
Every adult living in your home has to clear a criminal background check. Tennessee actually runs five of them: a local criminal records search for each jurisdiction where you’ve lived in the past six months, a state name-based check, a DCS database search, an internet records review, and a fingerprint-based check through both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.4Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Custodial Relative/Kinship Foster Home Approval – Policy 16.20
Federal law makes some convictions a permanent bar. A felony conviction at any time for child abuse or neglect, domestic violence, any crime against children, or a violent crime such as rape, sexual assault, or homicide disqualifies you outright. A felony within the past five years for physical assault, battery, or a drug-related offense also disqualifies you.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 42 Section 671
The TBI charges $37.15 per applicant for the fingerprint-based check, and you’ll pay that fee for each adult in the household who needs printing.6Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Background Checks If another adult moves in after you’re approved and stays more than 14 days, they go through the full background process too.4Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Custodial Relative/Kinship Foster Home Approval – Policy 16.20
The TN KEY Pre-Service Training
Before you can be licensed, you’ll complete a curriculum called TN KEY, short for “Knowledge Empowers You.”7kidcentral tn. State Launches New Training Curriculum for Prospective Foster Parents: Introducing TN-KEY It covers trauma-informed care, behavioral strategies, medical resources, and how the child welfare system actually works. The modules are:1Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Training for Potential Foster Parents
- Informational Meeting — 2 hours
- Navigating the Child Welfare System — 3 hours
- Exploring the Impact of Trauma — 3 hours
- Roadmap to Resilience — 3 hours
- Rerouting Trauma Behaviors — 3 hours
- Medical Resources and Information — 4 hours
- CPR and First Aid, in person — 5 hours minimum
- MAP Meeting, an individual session with your trainer — 1 hour
That’s at least 24 hours of structured instruction. CPR and first aid must be done in person; other modules may be offered in different formats depending on where you live. Your training coordinator files completion records directly into your licensing packet.
Starting the Application
The first step is contacting Every Child TN, a partnership organization that answers questions and matches you with the right agency.1Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Training for Potential Foster Parents If you want your home managed directly by DCS rather than by a private contract agency, say so in that first conversation.
From there you’ll fill out the Foster Home Application for Parenting (form CS-0688), which is the central document in your file.8Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Foster Parent Pre-Approval Forms You’ll also need to assemble:
- At least three supervisory references and two personal references who can speak to your character and caregiving
- A comprehensive medical history for every person living in the home, typically signed by a physician
- Documentation showing your income covers household expenses without foster payments
- Signed background check authorizations for every adult in the home
The Home Study
Once your paperwork and training are underway, a home study writer begins evaluating your household. It isn’t a single visit. The writer makes at least two home visits that include a safety assessment of your living space and observation of how your family interacts. Each prospective foster parent gets an individual in-person interview, co-applicant homes get a joint interview, and every child and adult living in the home gets an age-appropriate interview as well.9Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Documentation of the Foster Family Home Study – Section: Steps in the Foster Family Home Study Process
The conversations go deeper than many applicants expect. The writer asks about your approach to discipline, your family dynamics, your motivations for fostering, and how you’d handle the specific challenges that come with caring for children who’ve been through trauma. Everything gets written up in a formal report that goes to the regional director for the final approval decision.
How Long It Takes
From initial contact to license in hand, plan on four to six months. The actual timeline depends on how quickly background checks clear and when training slots open.1Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Training for Potential Foster Parents Once approved, you’re assigned a support worker who helps when a child is placed with you, and your license requires an annual anniversary assessment to stay active.4Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Custodial Relative/Kinship Foster Home Approval – Policy 16.20
What You’ll Be Paid
Tennessee pays foster parents a daily board rate to cover the child’s living expenses. The amount depends on the child’s age and placement category. As of July 1, 2025, the regular rates are:10Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Board Rates
- Ages 0–11: $32.62 per day
- Ages 12 and older: $37.40 per day
Children with documented special needs qualify for higher special circumstances rates: $35.88 per day for ages 0–11 and $41.14 per day for ages 12 and older. For children with the most intensive needs, DCS can approve extraordinary board rates case by case, up to a maximum of $60.00 per day.11Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Foster Home Board Rates 16.29 Getting an extraordinary rate requires a formal request documenting the child’s need for additional therapies and supports.
These payments cover the child’s food, clothing, shelter, and daily supervision. They are not meant as income, which is why DCS requires proof of financial stability before licensing.
How the Payments Are Taxed
Under Section 131 of the Internal Revenue Code, foster care board payments from a state or licensed placement agency are excluded from your gross income. The exclusion covers both the regular board rate and difficulty-of-care payments for children with physical, mental, or emotional challenges requiring additional care.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 26 Section 131 – Certain Foster Care Payments
There are limits. Regular payments become taxable if you care for more than five foster individuals age 19 or older. Difficulty-of-care payments become taxable if you care for more than ten foster individuals under 19, or more than five who are 19 and older. Most families never reach those numbers. One quirk catches people off guard: if you’re paid to keep open space in your home for emergency placements, that standby payment is taxable even when no child is currently placed.
If you eventually adopt a foster child, you may qualify for the federal adoption tax credit. For the 2025 tax year, the credit caps at $17,280 per eligible child and begins phasing out at a modified adjusted gross income above $259,190.13Internal Revenue Service. Adoption Credit The IRS adjusts these figures annually for inflation.
Your Rights Once You’re Licensed
Tennessee’s Foster Parent Rights Act sets specific commitments DCS owes to foster families. The protections include:14Tennessee Secretary of State. Public Chapter 549 – Foster Parent Rights Act
- Being told about any issues with a child that could affect your family’s health or safety, or that would change how care should be provided. For emergency placements, the department shares information as it becomes available.
- Reviewing written information about a child before placement and helping decide whether the child is a good fit; refusing a placement or requesting removal for good reason, without retaliation.
- Reaching someone at the department at any hour of any day when you need assistance.
- Adequate and timely board payments, subject to annual appropriations.
- Ongoing training to improve your skills with the daily and special needs of the children in your care.
- Maintaining your own family values and routines while fostering.
Knowing what the law guarantees matters once you’re in the system. You’re a member of the professional team caring for the child, and the statute says so.