The Foster Parent Report to the Court is designed to facilitate foster parents' participation in Court hearings for their foster child(ren). The categories listed here are not meant to be exclusive, but are designed to focus comments on those areas which the Court may consider in making decisions in the best interests of the child. This Report is intended to be child-focused, to provide information to the Court which the Court may not have from other sources, and to facilitate the delivery of that information in a relatively easy format. Filing of this Report with the Court does not abridge your right to appear and be heard at any hearing concerning your foster child.


There are some topics which your Report should not address because those areas are either outside the scope of the Court's authority (such as ordering a child to reside in a specific placement) or have been deemed so improper that it can give rise to an appealable issue which could complicate, delay, and/or change the permanent plan for the child. A specific example is comparing the child's care in foster care versus the child's prospects with the birth parents in advocating for termination and adoption of the child by the foster parent.

In considering written information submitted to the Court prior to hearings, it is more valuable to the Court for your Report to focus on facts that you know regarding the child in your care and what that child needs.


If you are able to electronically access the Report Form, please complete the History Section and only those areas in the Topics Section as apply to your concerns and your specific child, deleting any extraneous categories.

If you are not accessing the form on a computer, be sure to check off the boxes for only those specific topics which address your concerns so that the Court can be sure to read the relevant sections if time is short. (ISSPs typically run longer than 15 pages per child. GAL Reports can also be lengthy. The Court routinely sees in excess of 12 dependency families per hearing day, of 1 to 5 children each ~ in addition to other matters. Concise reports are much appreciated!) If additional space is needed to communicate your information to the Court, attach additional pages and reference back to the topic being addressed.

Notice and Distribution. If you intend to participate in the Court process, you are held to the same rules as other participants even though you are not granted legal rights as a party to the action. You must distribute copies of anything you submit to the Court to the other parties who are identified in your Distribution Information handout. A copy of this handout is available at the FPSP office and will be posted shortly on our website at www.fpas.org.