Staff Login En español DONATE JOIN OUR TEAM WHO WE ARE OUR SERVICES GET HELP GET INVOLVED Become a Shelter Home Parent Open your home. Open your heart. You can help a child in need by becoming a Helping Hands shelter home parent and opening your home as a temporary safe place for a child to live as they await family unification. Shelter home parents are special people who provide a temporary home, along with guidance, love and stability to children and teens in need of a safe place to live. Are you interested in becoming a shelter home parent? Find out how you can provide temporary shelter care (up to 30 days) for a child in need of a temporary home. Call today to find out more: To become a shelter parent in an (English only speaking) home, fill out the Hero Quiz/form below or call 856.881.6100 To become a shelter parent in a bilingual (English & Spanish speaking) home, fill out the Hero Quiz/form below or call 856.651.9633 To become a shelter parent in a bilingual (English/Dari speaking or English/Pashto speaking, fill out the Hero Quiz/form below or call 856.651.9633 All youth need a caring home environment to reach their full potential. Center For Family Services shelter home program places children and teens (newborns to age 18) in temporary shelter homes with the goal of family reunification. Shelter homes provide a nurturing, safe, and encouraging temporary home (up to 30 days). Shelter home parents create an environment that helps children to heal from the trauma they experienced and encourages personal growth, instills family values, and celebrates successes. Shelter home parents receive ongoing help and support from our staff. Trained staff are there every step of the way to guide shelter home parents to become the best caregivers they can be. The program offers: an excellent training program a coach to support shelter home parents case management for each child education for each child a competitive stipend There is an urgent need for bilingual shelter home parents for temporary child shelther home placements in bilingual homes, English/Spanish or English/Dari, or English/Pashto. Not sure if becoming a Shelter Home Parent is right for you? Continue reading for our Frequently Asked Questions or to take our short questionnaire. Shelter Home Parent Criteria Potential shelter home parents must meet the following criteria to be considered: Must be 25 years of age Bi-lingual English and Spanish (if accepting Spanish speaking youth) A legal US citizen or legal US resident Possess a valid NJ driver's license, with an insured vehicle Complete an extensive background check (be clear of convictions for crimes or disorderly person offenses) Have income sufficient to meet your family's needs Be in good general health Have stable housing Successfully complete interview screenings Successfully complete home study Successfully complete extensive training program FAQ - Sheltering Children and Teens Show FAQs FAQ - Sheltering Children and Teens in Bilingual Homes Show FAQs Shelter Parent Hero Quiz and Online Form Take our shelter home parent hero quiz. Once you complete the quiz, you can fill out our online form to let us know you are interested in becoming a shelter home parent. Do you have a bedroom available? * Every child needs a space to call their own. If you are interested in becoming a shelter home parent you must have a private bedroom available for our youth. Yes No Does mentoring a child at a pivotal point in their life appeal to you? * Children and teenagers are exploring and learning about the world around them. Most importantly, they're trying to find out how they fit in. Could you see yourself guiding them on that journey? Yes No Are you proficient with computers & web browsers? * We're not looking for computer science majors or programmers. But being a Helping Hands Serenity Homes shelter parent means using a computer to communicate with our team. Yes No Can you be creative and modify expectations as needed? * Youth you'll work with need help learning how to pick themselves back up after a setback. Sometimes that means breaking down a goal into smaller, achievable steps, or changing an expectation so they can be successful. Yes No Do you enjoy teamwork & learning new parenting skills? * What works for one child may not work for another. We're looking for individuals and families who can think creatively to help a young person become their very best. 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