Single Parents and LGBTQ Families: Fostering in New Jersey

Two of the most common questions on New Jersey foster care forums come from the same underlying concern: "Will they let me do this given my situation?" For single adults and LGBTQ individuals and couples, the answer from state law is clear — and more protective than many people assume.

Single Adults Can Foster in New Jersey

New Jersey's N.J.A.C. 3A:51-5.1 sets out the eligibility requirements for resource family applicants. Marital status is not a factor. Single individuals — never married, divorced, separated — are eligible applicants. The state evaluates your household's capacity to care for a child, not your relationship status.

Single resource family parents are a meaningful part of New Jersey's foster care community. The research from the NJ market shows that single professional women in urban centers — Newark, Jersey City, Trenton — represent a distinct and active segment of the applicant pool. Many are drawn to fostering as a path to parenthood, others by community motivation, others by a desire to provide care outside the traditional family structure.

The practical considerations for single applicants are real but navigable:

Support network: Your home study will include questions about your support system. Who are your backup caregivers when you are at work, sick, or traveling? Single applicants who can demonstrate a robust network of family, friends, or community support navigate the home study more smoothly than those who do not address this proactively.

Respite care: Single resource parents tend to rely on respite care more than two-parent households. New Jersey provides respite reimbursement — approximately $28.24 per hour for self-hired workers — which is available to all licensed resource families regardless of household composition.

PRIDE training timing: The 27-hour PRIDE requirement is the same for everyone. Single applicants who work full-time should look specifically for evening and hybrid cohort options. Ask your RFSW explicitly about evening session availability in your county.

Commuting and transportation requirements: Every adult in the household who transports placed children must have a current driver's license and insurance. Single applicants who rely on public transit for their own commute still need to be able to transport children to school, medical appointments, and birth family visitation. If transportation is a constraint, it should be discussed with your RFSW early rather than discovered during the home study.

LGBTQ Families and New Jersey Law

New Jersey law explicitly prohibits CP&P from disqualifying applicants based on gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, or culture. This is codified in the state's resource family licensing framework — it is not a matter of local office discretion.

Same-sex couples in a marriage, civil union, or domestic partnership apply jointly for a single resource family license. The application and process are identical to any other couple application. New Jersey recognizes all legally valid relationship structures for licensing purposes.

For LGBTQ applicants, the legal protection is clear and enforceable. If you experience discrimination in the licensing process, Embrella (formerly NJ Foster and Adoptive Family Services) provides advocacy and can escalate concerns to DCF.

Practical considerations for LGBTQ families:

CP&P vs. private RFA decision: Some private RFAs in New Jersey have religious affiliations that may affect the experience, though all agencies must comply with state anti-discrimination requirements when administering state-contracted services. LGBTQ families who have concerns about agency culture can choose to license directly through CP&P, where the state's non-discrimination requirements apply with full transparency.

Matching: N.J.S.A. 30:4C-26 requires CP&P to make reasonable efforts to match children with families of the same religious faith as the birth parents. This is a good-faith effort standard, not an absolute rule. It is one factor among many in placement decisions and does not create a legal basis for denying placement to LGBTQ families.

Home study interviews: The home study interviews for LGBTQ couples are the same as for any couple. Questions about household dynamics, support networks, and parenting philosophy apply equally. The RFSW is building a picture of your household's capacity to support a placed child — the same evaluation applied to every applicant.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Will single applicants get fewer placements?" Not by policy. Placement decisions are made based on the child's needs and the family's approved capacities. Some cases — particularly sibling groups — are harder to place with a single resource parent due to practical constraints, but single-parent homes receive placements regularly throughout the state.

"Can a single person adopt through foster care in NJ?" Yes. Once a child becomes legally free for adoption, the same placement preference rules apply regardless of the resource family's composition. Single adults can and do adopt through foster care in New Jersey.

"Can we foster if we are in a same-sex relationship but not married?" Yes. New Jersey's licensing allows applicants in civil unions and domestic partnerships, not only legal marriages. Two adults in a committed relationship who share a household can apply jointly.

"What if a private agency discriminates against us?" File a complaint with the DCF's Office of Equal Opportunity. All agencies contracted by the state are required to comply with New Jersey's non-discrimination laws. Embrella can assist with advocacy and escalation.

The law is clear. New Jersey is one of the most inclusive states in the country for foster care licensing, by statute. If you have been hesitating because you were not sure the state would accept your household as it is, it does.

The New Jersey Foster Care Licensing Guide covers the full application process for all household types — including what the home study asks single and LGBTQ applicants specifically, and how to address the support network question that comes up for solo caregivers.

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