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Old 03-03-2004, 03:06 PM
DianeS DianeS is offline
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You may be limited in what agencies you will find to liscence you. If you live in a state where the foster care system is privatized, or mostly privatized, then you will run into many agency requirements that you will not meet. In my experience, most private agencies willing to deal with foster children are religiously-based. And since an agency can set any requirement they want to as long as it is the same or stricter than the state requirements, many require their foster parents to be their same religion.

But once you've found an agency that will work with you, you should be fine.

Every state I've heard of requires that you allow the foster children to practice their own religion in their own way, and require you to support the child in that. Which means transporting the child to his/her own church, and remaining to supervise if necessary. It means allowing the child to pray before meals, or wear a headcovering, or pray at certain times of the day, or fast or feast at certain times of the year.

It also means not requiring the child to participate in your religion. The religion can *be there*, you just can't force participation. The child cannot be forced to attend your church, or pray before meals, or wear a headcovering, or pray at certain times of the day, or fast or feast at certain times of the year.

In practice, it means the Christian family must allow the Muslim child to fast during Ramadan (did I match that religion and holiday correctly?), and provide an appropriate meal after dark on those days. The family can have their Christmas tree and Christmas dinner and attend their Christmas service, but must provide a babysitter if the Muslim child does not wish to come with them.

A child living with a family of a different faith happens all the time. As long as you find an agency you're comfortable with, the fact that your religion is less popular and known than others shouldn't affect anything.
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