Alternatives to Waiting for the Delaware DFS Foster Care Information Session

The Delaware Division of Family Services holds monthly information sessions for prospective foster parents. These sessions provide an overview of the foster care system, the licensing requirements, and the general process. They are also the single biggest bottleneck in the early stage of becoming a foster parent in Delaware — not because the sessions are bad, but because they are infrequent and scheduled at times that may not work for you. The session is a mandatory three-hour prerequisite, so its schedule can affect when you enter the formal process.

You cannot bypass the DFS licensing process. DFS is the licensing authority, and you will need to work with them regardless. The monthly information session is a mandatory prerequisite before the remaining licensing steps. While you wait, you can gather documents, prepare your home, and write down questions; do not treat that preparation as a substitute for the session or for DFS authorization to begin formal checks.

The alternative to waiting is not skipping the session. It is arriving at the session document-ready, with your home preparation underway, and your questions specific to your situation rather than general orientation questions the session is designed to answer. Families who do this can reduce avoidable post-session delays.

What the Information Session Actually Covers

Understanding what the session provides helps you understand what you can learn independently.

The typical DFS information session covers:

• An overview of Delaware's foster care system and the children who need placement
• The general licensing requirements under 9 DE Admin. Code 201
• The distinction between DFS direct licensing and private agency licensing
• An introduction to PRIDE pre-service training (the 30-hour requirement)
• General information about background checks, the home study, and board rates
• A chance to ask questions and receive application materials

This is valuable context, particularly the in-person interaction with DFS staff and the ability to ask questions. It is not, however, information you cannot access elsewhere — and the session does not cover the operational specifics that actually stall applications: the IdentoGO service code, the cross-state background check coordination, the current board rates with COLA adjustments, or the county-level training logistics.

What You Can Do Before the Next Session

These are the concrete steps within your control that do not require DFS involvement or session attendance to begin.

1. Prepare for Your Background Checks

Delaware requires an SBI fingerprinted check, an FBI check, and a Child Protection Registry check. All adults in your household must complete these. If any adult has lived outside Delaware in the past five years, out-of-state registry checks are also required.

You can prepare for this process now by collecting address history and confirming the required steps with DFS or your Foster Home Coordinator. The SBI check uses the SBI 212B online submission. FBI fingerprinting is done through IdentoGO — the key detail is using the correct service code for "Foster Parent - DFS," which is not prominently listed on the IdentoGO website. The Delaware Foster Care Licensing Guide provides the exact code and the step-by-step process.

Once DFS or the assigned coordinator authorizes the checks, criminal-record results can take 15 to 60 days depending on complexity, and out-of-state registry checks can extend the timeline. Gathering the information now can reduce later delays.

2. Prepare Your Home

The home study evaluates your residence against the physical standards in 9 DE Admin. Code 201. These standards are not secret — they are published regulation. You can begin preparing now:

• Sleeping arrangements: Separate beds for each child. Children of opposite sexes may share a room only if both are under age five; children over age one cannot share a room with an adult. Separate cribs for infants.
• Safety equipment: Working carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors on every level. Fire extinguisher accessible.
• Firearm storage: Firearms and ammunition stored separately in locked cabinets. This is non-negotiable in Delaware.
• Alcohol storage: Alcohol secured and inaccessible to children.
• Water safety: Safe drinkable water. Sussex County homes with well water need specific testing — the guide covers the protocol.
• Environmental conditions: Home free of rodent and insect infestation. Plumbing in good working condition.
• Outdoor hazards: Built-in pools fenced according to local ordinances and equipped with life-saving devices; above-ground pool ladders removed when not in use. Ask DFS or your FHC about any trampoline-specific measures.

Addressing these items before your home study is scheduled eliminates the most common reason for failed or delayed home inspections. The guide provides a room-by-room walkthrough so you can self-assess before a DFS inspector arrives.

3. Understand the DFS vs. Private Agency Decision

Before your information session, you can research whether to pursue licensing directly through DFS or through one of Delaware's contracted private agencies. This decision affects your training schedule, your caseworker relationship, and potentially your placement timeline.

DFS is the "direct path" — high volume, state-managed, with the full range of available placements. Private agencies like Children & Families First and Children's Choice offer more personalized support but may focus on specific types of placements.

The critical detail most free resources miss: not all private agencies in Delaware hold current DFS contracts for foster care placement. Some agencies focus solely on adoption or on private placement services that do not intersect with the state foster care system. Choosing an agency that does not hold a foster care contract means you cannot receive state foster children through that agency.

The guide identifies which agencies hold current contracts and what each path means operationally.

4. Review the PRIDE Training Requirement

PRIDE pre-service training is 30 hours across ten IHS Foundation Modules, managed through Prevent Child Abuse Delaware (PCAD). Each module requires an 85% passing score. Training is offered in sessions across all three counties, but scheduling varies and popular sessions fill early.

While you cannot enroll in PRIDE before completing certain licensing steps, you can learn what the training covers, how the modules are structured, and what the five post-licensing training levels involve (from Level 1 Caregiver's Voice and CPR through Level 5 Crisis De-escalation). Knowing this before the information session means you can ask specific scheduling questions rather than hearing about the training for the first time.

5. Learn the Financial Reality

Delaware's board rate structure is one of the most common sources of confusion and misinformation. The DFS website's most commonly linked payment schedule dates to 2009. Facebook groups regularly cite these outdated numbers. The actual rates after COLA adjustments are different.

The guide includes the current board rate tables: the Individual Sponsor Rate (approximately $956/month base level in 2026), the Personal Needs Allowance, age-specific daily clothing and incidental allowances, the one-time Initial Clothing Payment by age bracket, and the infant "Baby Rate." It also explains the Level of Care (LOC) and GFT rate structure, what these payments cover, and the critical fact that board payments are reimbursements for cost of care, not income — your household must demonstrate financial stability independent of these funds.

Understanding this before the information session means you walk in with realistic financial expectations rather than the confusion that results from outdated public information.

6. Gather Your Documentation

You know the categories of documents you will need: identification, proof of residence, income verification, vehicle registration and insurance, pet vaccination records, and medical clearances. Gathering these now — rather than after the session when DFS gives you the formal checklist — removes a common source of post-session delay.

What You Still Need the Information Session (or DFS Contact) For

To be clear about what independent preparation cannot replace:

• Formal application submission. Your application goes through DFS or your chosen agency. You cannot self-license.
• Home study scheduling. DFS assigns a caseworker and schedules the home study visits. You cannot arrange this independently.
• PRIDE training enrollment. PCAD and DFS coordinate training enrollment. You can learn about the training, but enrollment requires being in the formal process.
• License issuance. Only DFS issues a foster care license in Delaware.
• Placement authorization. Only DFS or a contracted agency matches you with a child.

The information session is the mandatory entry step for the standard DFS process. Calling the DFS office directly — the office at 1825 Faulkland Road in Wilmington for New Castle County, or the appropriate county office for Kent or Sussex — can help you confirm the current schedule and county instructions, but phone contact does not replace the required session.

Comparison: Waiting vs. Preparing

Who This Is For

• Prospective foster parents who decided to pursue fostering but the next DFS information session is weeks away
• Families who attended an information session that was rescheduled or cancelled and do not want to lose momentum
• Working professionals in New Castle County whose schedules conflict with the session times DFS offers
• Sussex County residents for whom traveling to the information session location is a significant commitment and want to maximize the value of making that trip
• Kinship caregivers who cannot afford to wait for a monthly session when a child needs placement now
• Anyone who has already attended the information session and wants to accelerate the post-session process

Who This Is NOT For

• People who have not yet decided whether to pursue foster care — the information session is actually a good fit for the exploratory stage
• Families looking for the session schedule itself — contact DFS directly or check kids.delaware.gov for current dates
• Families already in the active licensing process with a caseworker assigned — you are past this stage

Tradeoffs

Preparing before the session: You invest time upfront that can reduce avoidable delays. Your documents and home are ready before the home study is scheduled, and you can confirm the background-check sequence with DFS before submitting anything. The limitation is that preparation requires a source of accurate, current, Delaware-specific information — and the DFS website, with its "Coming Soon" portals and 2009 payment schedules, is not sufficient on its own.

Waiting for the session to start everything: Low upfront effort, but you add the session wait time plus the full post-session timeline to your total licensing duration. Formal steps follow the session and DFS instructions, while home and document preparation can happen beforehand. For families without time pressure, this is a reasonable approach. For kinship caregivers, commuters with scheduling constraints, or anyone motivated to move quickly, the wait is frustrating.

Using a guide as your preparation tool: The Delaware Foster Care Licensing Guide provides the complete process — background check walkthrough with IdentoGO codes, home study preparation checklist from 9 DE Admin. Code 201, PRIDE training overview, DFS-vs-agency comparison, county-level logistics, and current board rates. It is the preparation resource that lets you arrive at the information session (or your first DFS phone call) ready to execute rather than ready to learn.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is attending the DFS information session mandatory for licensing?

Yes. The research materials identify the three-hour information session as a mandatory prerequisite for the standard DFS licensing process. Contact DFS for the current county schedule and instructions.

How often are the information sessions held?

DFS typically holds information sessions monthly, though the schedule varies by county and sessions are occasionally rescheduled or cancelled. Contact the DFS office for your county for the current schedule: the New Castle County office at 1825 Faulkland Road in Wilmington, or the Kent or Sussex County offices.

Can I submit my application at the information session?

The information session provides orientation and next-step instructions. The formal application follows completion of PRIDE training, so use the session to confirm the application sequence and gather the required materials.

What if I am a kinship caregiver and cannot wait for the monthly session?

Kinship caregivers with an emergency placement should contact DFS directly. Emergency kinship placement can be authorized outside the standard information session pathway. The guide covers the kinship-specific process, including the emergency provisions and training grace periods.

Should I start background checks before attending the session?

Do not assume you should submit them before the session. Gather your address history and other information first, then follow DFS or your Foster Home Coordinator's instructions about when to initiate each check.

I attended the information session six months ago but never followed through. Do I need to attend another one?

This depends on how long ago you attended and whether DFS has any record of your attendance. Contact the DFS office for your county to ask whether your previous attendance is still on file. If you need to restart, the guide ensures you can prepare fully so that this time the momentum carries through to licensing.

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