Step 1: Attend an Information Session
Begin your fostering journey by attending an information session. Here, you'll learn about the fostering process, meet our team, and discover how you can make a difference in a child's life. This is a required step to begin the application process.
Step 2: Start the Application Process
Once you have completed an Information Session, you will receive a link to our online portal to start the online application. During this process you will provide basic details about yourself and your family and sign up for Foster Parent Training Classes.
Step 3: Attend Foster Parent Training
This essential training will equip you with the skills and knowledge to support children in foster care effectively. The classes are held in person over ten weeks in multiple locations throughout North Carolina. This is a FREE Class.
Step 4: Complete Licensing Paperwork
Seven Homes will help you to complete more comprehensive background information, home inspections, and additional training, such as CPR while you are completing the Foster Parent Training Classes. Once all paperwork and training is completed the staff will submit your family to the State of North Carolina for approval.
Step 5: Welcome a Child
Once approval comes back from the State of North Carolina with your foster parent license, you will meet with our Referral Coordinator to determine the best placement for you and your family. You will begin welcoming children into your home but our support does not end there. Seven Homes staff is always there to support you and your family on this journey.
Why Seven Homes
Family Events
Seven Homes hosts private events throughout the year—like Easter egg hunts, beach trips, and Christmas parties—to help foster families connect, celebrate, and build community.
Lasting Matches
Our agency prides itself on finding the right child for the right family, supporting families through difficult times and making foster care fun.​
Have Questions?
We are here to help answer any questions you may have. No question is a bad question when it comes to deciding if your family is ready to foster.
Who Can Foster?
- May be married or single
- Must be at least 21 years old
- It would help if you had sufficient income for the needs of your own current family
- May or may not have birth or other children
- Must live in the state of North Carolina
- Foster parents can reside in a home, an apartment/condo/townhome, or a mobile home
- The home must have a working telephone
- Must provide children with their bed and adequate drawer/closet space for personal belongings
- You are required to complete annual training to maintain your foster care license
What is Foster Care?
Foster care in North Carolina is a temporary living arrangement for children who have experienced abuse or neglect, or whose biological families are no longer able to care for them. There are various reasons why families may be unable to provide care for their children, including job loss, mental illness, poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse. When a child is at risk, the local Department of Social Services (DSS) can take custody of the child and place them in a foster home with the approval of a judge. Visit the FAQ Page for more information.
How Long is a Placement?
A child's placement in your home may be as short as an overnight stay or longer than a year.
