Foster Friends would like to thank all foster parents and kinship caregivers for taking care of the children of Collin County.  We are so grateful to you and want to assist you in your care and support of these children.

Foster Friends provides two services for caregivers:

  1. Reimbursement for certain expenses
  2. Invitations to free family events

Reimbursement for Expenses

Foster Friends works in conjunction with the Collin County CPS Board to consider caregivers’ requests for reimbursement for certain expenses associated with raising a child in foster or substitute care.  Please review the information on this page, as well as the information in the following documents before submitting your request.

Guidelines for Caregiver Reimbursement
Miscellaneous Reimbursement Request Form
Clothing Reimbursement Request Form

Who is eligible to receive assistance from Foster Friends?
Foster Friends considers requests from foster parents, kinship families, CASA workers, and other caregivers of Collin County children in substitute care.  Caregivers need not live in Collin County, but your child must have a Collin County CPS caseworker, and your request must be submitted through CPS.

What sort of assistance is available?
Foster Friends works in conjunction with the Collin County Child Protective Services Board to consider and fund a variety of needs on a case-by-case basis.  All requests are considered and either approved or declined fully at the discretion of Foster Friends.  Some examples of items for which assistance may be available include:

  • Up to $350 per year per child for clothing
  • Camps
  • Sports
  • Proms
  • Extracurricular activities
  • Driver’s education
  • Music lessons
  • Summer school
  • Tutoring
  • Medical expenses not covered by Medicaid
  • Laptops for college-bound seniors
  • Other needs on a case-by-case basis

Please note that Foster Friends cannot consider child care expenses, immigration expenses, homeland security expenses, car seats, strollers, diapers, or formula.

What documentation do I need to submit my request?
Clothing reimbursement requests must include a fully completed Clothing Reimbursement Request Form, and original store receipts less than 90 days old.  The receipts should not include items other than the child’s clothing.

All other requests must include a completed Miscellaneous Reimbursement Request Form with a thorough explanation of your child’s need.  To demonstrate cost, please also submit a contract, quote, or proposal, or an original paid receipt showing that you have already incurred the expenses.  Additionally, ask your child’s Collin County caseworker to prepare a Special Needs Request to accompany your submission.

Where should I send my request?
Send your request along with all supporting documentation to:

CPS Reimbursement Coordinator
Attn: Janyne Davis
Dept. of Family and Protective Services
Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County
2205 Los Rios Blvd.
Plano, TX 75074

When should I submit my request?
Please submit all requests by the second Friday of the month.
All receipts associated with your request should be less than 90 days old.  In order to ensure that Foster Friends has the opportunity to consider your request within 90 days of your purchase, we recommend submitting your receipts within the first 60 days after your purchase.

When will I have an answer on my request?
Foster Friends considers Special Needs Requests on the fourth Monday of every month.  When a request is approved, caregivers typically receive payment within three weeks.

Will my request be funded by Foster Friends or by the Collin County Child Protective Services Board?
The submission process is the same for Foster Friends and the Collin County Child Protective Services Board.  If the Collin County Child Protective Services Board is unable to fund your request with county funds, Foster Friends will step in to consider funding your request with private donations.

What if I have additional questions?
Please visit our Contact Us page or contact our CPS liaison Janyne Davis at (972) 633-6651.

Invitations to free family events

Throughout the year, Foster Friends hosts free family events for children in substitute care and their substitute caregivers.  For the privacy and security of the children, invitations to our free family events are typically issued through Collin County CPS caseworkers directly to foster and kinship families.  Please contact your child’s Collin County caseworker for more information or to RSVP for one of our upcoming events.

Some of our signature family events have included:

  1. Movie Day at Studio Movie Grill in Plano.  Each summer we invite children and their caregivers to enjoy a meal and a recently released children’s movie, free of charge.
  2. Storybook Family Day.  Each fall, foster children and their caregivers join us for a fun-filled day at Storybook Ranch.  Children watch a Wild West show, enjoy a BBQ lunch, meet ponies, pose for a family photo, play games, and more.
  3. National Adoption Day.  On the Saturday before Thanksgiving, we help families adopting children out of foster care celebrate their special day.
  4. Breakfast with Santa.  Children are caregivers enjoy a festive breakfast and take home a photo of themselves meeting Santa.

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