Foster/Adoptive Parenting: Required Documents

Before you begin the foster parenting application process, gather important personal documents and make copies to give your Home Development Worker.

• Car insurance and registration documents.
• Copy of your current driver’s license.
• Copy of the applicant(s) Social Security Card(s).
• Copy of all household members’ birth certificates.
• These are used to verify identity, birth date, and residency.
• Verification of applicant(s) current marital status.
  Applicable documents include:
  
  • Copy of marriage certificate,
  • Copy of divorce decree(s) on all former marriages
  • Copy of death certificate(s) (if applicable)

• Verification of applicant(s) income.
  Applicable documents include:
  
  • Pay stub (or other source of income)
  • 1040 form from previous year (if self-employed).

• Pet immunization records.
  (For the health and safety of the children, your pets must be current on their immunizations.)
• Identify 5 Personal References.
  Gather names, addresses and phone numbers of five personal references, at least three from persons not related to the applicant (one of these may come from an employer). If there are grown children or other adults raised by the applicant, contact information must be provided on all and one or more will be contacted as a reference. You may want to contact your references and get their permission to use them as a reference.

WHERE TO GO FOR COPIES

Birth/Death Certificates may be obtained in the state where you were born. Information for applicants born in Louisiana: Vital records OR 1-504-219-4500

• Birth Certificate……. $15.00
• Death Certificate……$ 7.00

Walk-in services are available at the Parish Health Units in the following parishes: Caddo, Calcasieu, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson (Metairie and Marrero), Lafayette, Lafourche, Ouachita, Rapides and Tangipahoa.

For mail-in requests, add .50 to the fee and send to:

Louisiana Vital Records Registry
P.O. Box 60630
New Orleans, LA 70160

Social Security Card
Social Security Administration OR 1-800-772-1213
(There is no charge for new or replacement Social Security Cards.)

Marriage/Divorce Certificate
Information for applicants married or divorced in Louisiana:
List of Louisiana Clerks of Court.

• Marriage Certificate…..$5.00
• Divorce Certificate……$.50 cents per copy, plus $5.00 to certify.

You can also contact your attorney for copies of the Divorce Judgment.