DePaul's Foster Care program serves young people from age 0 to 21. Many of these children may have special needs; the majority are survivors of abuse and neglect. Special needs may include emotional or behavioral issues, poor self-esteem, difficulty in school, medical or physical disabilities, or intellectual disabilities. Foster parents can be single individuals or married couples, with or without children. They may own or rent their home. Foster parents provide children with guidance, supervision, discipline, safety, and structure. They also work with DePaul staff to address the needs of the young people in their care until they can return to their birth families, move to adoptive homes, or live independently. The home study process typically takes three to six months, depending on how quickly meetings and trainings are completed. All prospective foster parents are required to complete a pre-service training course. In certain instances, prospective foster parents must also complete adult/child/infant CPR and first aid training. Once foster parents are approved, DePaul provides ongoing training, financial support, and access to 24-hour crisis assistance.