Steps to Becoming Foster Parents

Who Can Become Foster Parents

Foster Family Responsibilities

Donations

Services

Services to children and families in the Foster Care Program are delivered in the contest of a network and include at least the following services:

For youth in care:

Intensive treatment in a family setting.
Ongoing counseling in individual, group and family sessions, directed toward reunification, resolving issues related to placement and ongoing support.
Individual service plan to enhance personal growth and daily living skills.
Regular youth activities, including those with primary and foster family together.
Intensive effort toward maintenance in a development of educational program to meet each child’s needs.

For primary families:

Emphasis on treatment directed to resolving issues, reunification, and ongoing support.
Enrichment activities with child on a regular basis.
Involvement in creating individual treatment plan enhancing personal growth and stability for child in care.
Monthly progress reports.
Encourage ongoing contact with youth in care.
Provision of aftercare services as agreed upon between placing agency, primary family, Thompkins Child & Adolescent Services, Inc., and contract psychologist.

For families in network service:

Training and staff development to increase knowledge base and skills to meet needs of children with special needs.
Group sessions in a network frame of reference.
Mediation and 24 hour crisis intervention services.
Respite care services.
Social and cultural activities to enhance family life.
Group planning sessions for formulation of treatment goals and objectives for youth in care.
Planning sessions for the ongoing development of the network.