Become a Foster Parent With Berks County Children and Youth Services
Berks County Children and Youth Services approves resource parents, also called foster parents, to care for children the agency places in their homes. A foster family provides care, nurturing and supervision for a child, provides transportation to doctor appointments, therapy appointments, visitation with biological parents and court hearings, and turns in monthly documentation of the child's progress in the home.
Foster parents receive a per diem rate for each day the child is in the home to help with the financial burden, plus reimbursement for mileage for travel to all of the child's appointments. Each child placed in foster care is covered by one of three medical assistance plans for Berks County, and under the plan all medical expenses, including prescriptions, are covered. To keep continuity of care, the child will continue to see the doctor they saw when they were with their biological parents. Children in care are also eligible for WIC up to age 5 to help with the cost of formula and food, Head Start preschool for ages 3 to 5, day care subsidy through the Berks County Intermediate Unit, and free school lunches.
To begin, contact the agency at 610-478-6700. After you complete a short informational sheet, a caseworker will reach out to provide the necessary paperwork. You then attend a Pre-Service Training Program through Berks County Children and Youth Services and take part in a home study, in which a caseworker comes to your home over multiple visits and talks with you and your family. After the paperwork, training and home visits are done, your file is reviewed by the Permanency Services Manager for approval if all necessary requirements are met. The page does not say how long this takes.
The home study and training program are free, but you pay for medical exams by your doctor, Childline and State Police clearances at $20 for each individual 14 years or older who resides in your home, a water test if you have your own well, FBI clearances at $37 per individual if you have not resided in Pennsylvania since you turned 18, and items to meet the safety regulations, such as a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector on each floor and guns kept in a locked cabinet.
Part of the home study is telling the agency what type of child you want to foster, and you do not have to accept a placement that does not seem right for your family. The biggest need is for families who are willing to take older children and sibling groups. When a placement comes up, the foster care coordinator contacts a family with whatever information they have, and the family decides whether the placement is right. Children in your care will have visitation with their biological parents, and you are expected to provide the child's transportation to the visit, though you will not be expected to supervise the visit or stay during it. If a child is having a problem in your home, notify your caseworker immediately. The agency will assist in trying to improve the situation, and if it cannot be fixed, families are asked to give a 30 day notice so a new family can be found and the move is easier on the child.
The office is Berks Resource Parents, Berks County Services Center, 11th Floor, 633 Court Street, Reading, PA 19601. Call 610-478-6700, toll free 1-866-777-8780, or TDDY 610-478-6820. Resource parent coordinator Diana Oriol can be reached at (610) 478-6700 extension 6831 or DOriol@berkspa.gov. Building hours are 8 AM to 5 PM, closed on holidays, and department hours may vary.
Source: berkspa.gov/departments/children-and-youth/berks-resource…, read September 18, 2026.
The details
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ost of these are $37 per individual) Items to meet the safety regulations (i.e. fire extinguisher smoke detector on each floor, guns must be in a locked cabinet)
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After completing the paperwork, training, and home visits, your file will be reviewed by the Permanency Services Manager for approval if all necessary requirements are met.
In Berks County Children and Youth Services’s words
Provide care, nurturing, and supervision for a child. Provide transportation to doctor appointments, therapy appointments, visitation with biological parents, and court hearings. Provide monthly documentation of the child’s progress in your home.
Organization
Berks County Children and Youth Services
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This listing summarizes publicly available information from berkspa.gov/departments/children-and-youth/berks-resource…. Last recorded review: September 18, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.