[sunnysmiles]

Hi. I just joined this site this evening so if I seem to be a bit "green" at this please understand. My husband and I have been married for about a year and a half. We have both been married previously. He was a foster home parent with his ex wife and I have been through the NOVA training with my ex husband. My ex husband and I were asked by the county we were living in if we would consider being a foster home and we agreed to go through the NOVA training that is required to become a foster home. Then after completing the training we moved to another county as he got a better job. That county would not allow my ex husband and I to be a foster home because we had previously been married. My current husband and I are wondering whether or not we can be kept from being a foster home because of previous marriages. Does anyone know the if that is a federal, state or county law?

[lucyjoy]

The states get to be really nosy. The amount of previous marriages, the lengths of those marriages, and the stability of your currant marriage will all be considered when the county makes a decision on foster parenting. They may require you to be married for a longer period of time before they will let you foster.

[sp4home]

Hi- We are currently foster parents and we live in Cass County Iowa. My husband was married twice before (I am his third wife) and I have been married once before (my second marriage). We have now been married to each other for 11 years. As another has posted, perhaps the length of your current marriage is the issue. We had been married just 4 years when we began long term foster care. We were asked many questions about why we had divorced, the type of divorce, the length of the previous marriages and such. BTW- My divorce was quite lengthy and ugly.

Previous marriages alone can not keep you from becoming foster parents in Iowa. There is some other issue that is standing in your way.

Be direct and ask the worker to tell you exactly what she is thinking, what she is considering, and what she feels are important issues when it comes to selecting foster homes. Don't assume, ask.

Have you 'officially' applied to become foster parents? or Was it just a verbal inquiry? Did you receive a written denial for your foster care license? If you have received a written denial there is an appeal process that you can do.

Sherri

[beeba7597]

My husband and I are going through the PS/MAPP training at DMACC right now. You will need to go through this training in order to become foster parents again. It is so much better the NOVA. They can not hold previous marriages against you. I would contact Children and Families of Iowa or Luthern Social Services to see when you will be able to get into the next set of classes.