You need to meet certain eligibility criteria in order to become a shelter home parent. The application process involves background checks, scheduled visits to your home, and trainings. During the application process staff members gather paperwork, interview all family members, inspect the home for safety, and fully explain the responsibilities of being a shelter home parent. It takes total commitment on the part of the entire family. Our careful screening process helps you to determine whether shelter parenting is right for you. Only those applicants who meet all eligibility criteria become shelter home parents.

Our most successful shelter home parents are open-minded, dependable, honest, patient, culturally sensitive, and willing to learn new parenting styles for children with different needs. Having a flexible schedule, being tolerant of change, and demonstrating the ability to follow our guidelines are all important qualities for success. Being able to accept the temporary nature of being a shelter home parent will better prepare you for the transitions that will occur. If you are a creative problem solver, a good listener, and have a sense of humor, you will develop strong connections to our youth.

Yes, you will be required to be licensed, and we will provide everything you will need including orientation to the program, ongoing trainings, regular in-person support, 24-hour on-call support availability and other tools to help you learn and develop your skills along the way.

As a shelter home parent, children will stay in your home for up to 30 days.

Children are placed through the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) from across the state of New Jersey. They may enter your home directly from their family’s home, another safe home, or from a more restrictive setting such as a residential facility.

Children range in age from 9-18, including pregnant and parenting teens. Some children are stepping down from residential treatment, some have developmental delays, some have suffered severe trauma. Children will be connected with additional supports while in your care.  As a shelter parent, you will receive extensive training on how to provide trauma-informed care and how best to handle the specific needs of each child.

Sometimes, if time permits, we can arrange for a pre-placement visit. In most cases, however, a child’s need for a safe and caring home is urgent, and you may not be able to meet the child until he or she arrives at your home.

Yes, shelter home parents receive compensation to cover all the needs of the youth, including but not limited to: food, clothing, shelter, medical co-pays, transportation, recreation, and allowance. Based on IRS laws the compensation funds should not be considered income. There is no minimum income requirement to become a shelter home parent. However, your income must be earned and should be sufficient to meet the financial needs of your family.

All children are influenced by behaviors and attitudes of other people, whether these individuals are friends at school, neighbors, or children receiving care through our program. If your children understand your expectations and have a sense of appropriate behavior and values, then it can be a positive experience for all involved.

Yes, an extra bedroom is needed in order for you to be a shelter parent. The children placed in shelter homes can share a bedroom with other children in our shelter homes program as long as they are the same sex. For example, you provide shelter care for two females placed through our shelter homes program, they can share a bedroom. 

When the goal is to eventually reunite the family, visits are crucial to help the child maintain a sense of belonging and identity. Visitation schedules vary and may be scheduled once a week or once or twice a month. Visits are generally held in a supervised location. Your involvement in these visitations is completely optional beyond assisting with transportation.

Our staff maintain frequent, consistent contact with shelter home parents. As a shelter home parent, you will have weekly in-home visits with your case manager. During those visits, you will discuss the child's/children's progress in the home, at school, and address any concerning behaviors. We have a therapist on staff for youth who need individual therapy. For emergencies, we are available 24/7 to support and guide you. Life skills are taught to the youth in a group setting monthly. Staff also provide regular trainings to the shelter home parents.

We provide ongoing communication in order to help our shelter home parents to avoid becoming overwhelmed. We provide ongoing training and 1:1 support to address any areas of need you may have. We also provide respite care as needed.

Your current parenting style will determine how much of an adjustment you will need to make to follow our guidelines. Our policies and guidelines are designed to protect both you and the child. We only allow appropriate, non-physical methods of discipline such as removing privileges, giving timeouts, using rewards, and encouragement and praise for good behavior. Some of our discipline rules include: • No physical punishment • No withholding meals, clothing or shelter • No verbal abuse or name-calling • No threats to have a child removed • No physically strenuous work or exercise solely for punishment • No allowing other children to punish the shelter care child • No withholding family visitations If staff discover any of these methods are being used, the shelter home family will be re-evaluated as a member of our team.

Yes, we encourage you to make your friends and family aware of your decision to become a shelter home parent and respects the privacy of the child/children placed. We require all frequent visitors complete background checks and the fingerprinting process for the protection of the children and your family.

Yes, most of our shelter home parents work. However, it is important to remember that you must have flexibility in your schedule and be able to provide adequate time and support to each child. Like your own children, you will be responsible for attending teacher conferences, medical appointments, and transporting the children to recreational activities. Sometimes our children have difficulty adjusting to the new situation. This may display itself as negative behaviors in school. You need to have the flexibility to go to school for emergencies such as that.

All school-age children must be registered in school. Home schooling a child is prohibited.

You need to meet certain eligibility criteria in order to become a shelter home parent. The application process involves background checks, scheduled home visits, and trainings. During the application process staff members gather paperwork, interview all family members, inspect the home for safety, and fully explain the responsibilities of being a shelter home parent. It takes total commitment on the part of the entire family. Our careful screening process helps you to determine whether this is right for you. Only those applicants who meet all eligibility criteria become shelter home parents.

Our most successful shelter home parents are open-minded, dependable, honest, patient, culturally sensitive, and willing to learn new parenting styles for children with different needs. Having a flexible schedule, being tolerant of change, and demonstrating the ability to follow our guidelines are all important qualities for success. Being able to accept the temporary nature of being a shelter home parent will better prepare you for the transitions that will occur. If you are a creative problem solver, a good listener, and have a sense of humor, you will develop strong connections to our youth. 

Yes, you will be required to be licensed, and we will provide everything you will need including orientation to the program, ongoing trainings, regular in-person support, 24-hour on-call support availability and other tools to help you learn and develop your skills along the way.

As a shelter home parent, children will stay in your home for up to 30 days.

 Children are placed through the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Services for unaccompanied minor children who immigrated into the United States. 

Children range in age from 5-12 years old, including children 12-17 years old accompanied by a sibling. This population is the lowest level of care. Children will be connected with additional support while in your care. As a shelter parent, you will receive extensive training on how to provide trauma-informed care and how best to handle the specific needs of each child.

The children in our program are in urgent need of a safe and caring home, so you will meet them when they arrive at your home.

Yes. as a shelter parent, you will receive compensation to cover the needs of the youth, including but not limited to: food, clothing, shelter, transportation, recreation, and allowance. Based on IRS laws, the compensation funds should not be considered income. There is no minimum income requirement to become a shelter home parent. However, your income must be earned and should be sufficient to meet the financial needs of your family.

Yes, an extra bedroom is needed in order for you to be a shelter parent. The children placed in shelter homes can share a bedroom with other children in our shelter homes program as long as they are the same sex. If you provide shelter care for two females placed through our shelter homes program, they can share a bedroom. 

Helping Hands Shelter Homes maintains frequent, consistent contact with all shelter home parents.  You will have weekly in-home visits with your case manager. During those visits, you will discuss the child's/children's progress in the home and address any concerning behaviors. We have a therapist on staff for youth who need individual therapy. For emergencies, we are available 24/7 to support and guide you. Life skills are taught to the youth in a group setting monthly. Staff also provide regular trainings for shelter home parents.

We provide ongoing communication in order to help our shelter home parents to avoid becoming overwhelmed. We provide ongoing training and 1:1 support to address any areas of need you may have. We also provide respite care as needed.

Your current parenting style will determine how much of an adjustment you will need to make to follow our guidelines. Our policies and guidelines are designed to protect both you and the child. We only allow appropriate, non-physical methods of discipline such as removing privileges, giving timeouts, using rewards, and encouragement and praise for good behavior. Some of our discipline rules include:

• No physical punishment
• No withholding meals, clothing or shelter
• No verbal abuse or name-calling
• No threats to have a child removed
• No physically strenuous work or exercise solely for punishment
• No allowing other children to punish the shelter care child

If staff discover any of these methods are being used, the shelter home family will be re-evaluated as a member of our team.

Yes, we encourage you to make your friends and family aware of your decision to become a shelter home parent and respects the privacy of the child/children placed. We require all frequent visitors complete background checks and the fingerprinting process for the protection of the children and your family.

Yes, most of our shelter home parents work, however, a parent must be at home at all times when a child is at home. Like your own children, you will be responsible for attending teacher conferences, medical appointments, and transporting the children to recreational activities.

There are two schooling options for our bilingual shelter homes. Children can be brought to the Juntos Success Center for education or can choose to be home schooled by their shelter home parent. Home schooling will be monitored through your weekly meetings with your case manager.