What is Treatment Foster Care?

Treatment Foster Care (TFC) provides foster family based treatment to children with special needs.  Specially trained families offer these youth nurturance, support and opportunities for new learning through a more focused approach than that provided through standard foster care.  The goal is to serve the emotional, behavioral and physical needs of children in a family environment and decrease the number of children served in residential and institutionalized environments.  The philosophical basis of TFC is the belief that children/teens learn normal behavior best in normal settings; they learn healthy family living best in healthy families. 

Who are the children needing foster care/adoption?

The children represent all ages, races and cultures.  Many are teenagers.  Some may need extra support due to physical disabilities, developmental delays, and emotional/behavioral issues.  Because of the losses they have experienced, many of their issues result from extreme trauma and neglect.  Children and teens are matched with selected foster families until they can return home or until a permanent (adoptive) home is found. 

What are Teaching Parents?

Teaching parents can be single, married, widowed, or divorced, and are of any race/ethnicity.  Teaching parents may be bilingual.  Teaching parents are at least 21 years old.  They live in apartments, townhomes, and single family homes.  They have room in their heart and home for a child or teen with emotional/behavioral issues.  Teaching parents must have a stable income to meet the needs of their own family.  Teaching parents can become adoptive parents.  You can help children on a full-time or part-time (respite) basis. 

What are Teaching Parents Responsibilities?

Provide a nurturing, caring, and stable family life experience

Offer positive discipline, structure, and teaching opportunities

Share your family and be positive role models

Be a parent, offer day to day care of the child/teen

Participate in case planning and treatment team process

Support the permanency goals and assist with ensuring the child/teen maintains family connections