Treatment Foster Parents:
Ordinary People doing Extraordinary Things
What is Treatment Foster Care?
Treatment Foster Care is a distinct, powerful, and unique model of care that provides children with a combination of the best elements of traditional foster care and residential treatment centers. In Treatment Foster Care, the positive aspects of the nurturing and therapeutic family environment are combined with active and structured treatment. Treatment Foster Programs provide, in a clinically effective and cost-effective way, individualized and intensive treatment for children and adolescents who would otherwise be placed in institutional settings.
Definition approved by the Foster Family-based Treatment Association’s Board of Directors, March 13, 2001. Definition is derived from the work of Gerald Bereika, Ph.D.
What is the difference between Treatment Foster Care and traditional foster care?
Treatment Foster Care and traditional foster care are two distinct program models intended to serve different populations.
Treatment Foster Care is a clinically effective and cost-effective alternative to residential treatment facilities that combines the treatment technologies typically associated with more restrictive settings with the nurturing and individualized family environment.
Foster care has provided nurturing, safe, and custodial care for children who require placement outside of their family. The primary reason for placement in traditional foster care is the need for care and protection. The role of the foster parent is that of caregiver and nurturer. Treatment, if any, occurs outside of the foster home.
Children are referred to Treatment Foster Care programs to address their serious levels of emotional, behavioral and medical problems. Treatment Foster Care is active and structured, and occurs in the foster family home.
Statement approved by the Foster Family-based Treatment Association’s Board of Directors, March 13, 2001. Derived from the work of Gerald Bereika, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2004 Foster Family-based Treatment Association
294 Union Street, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601
www.ffta.org
What does it take to be a treatment foster parent?
Each program is responsible for screening and selecting it own parents, so criteria may vary. The minimum requirements for treatment foster parents set by the State of Maryland are:
- Be between 21 and 60 years of age;
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent;
- Have enough income to support yourself and your family;
- Have enough space for the foster child in your home;
- Have a car and working telephone;
- Pass criminal and child protective services background checks;
- Complete pre-service training of at least 24 hours;
- Complete a screening by program staff;
You cannot:
- Run a day care out of your home;
- Have any boarders;
- Be certified by more than on foster care program;
- Provide care to adults;
What are the responsibilities of a treatment foster parent?
- Assist the case manager and other team members in the development of treatment plans for a child or youth in their care;
- Attend team meetings and training sessions;
- Keep a systematic record of a child's behavior and progress in targeted areas on at least a weekly, or preferably, a daily basis;
- Ensure a child access to medical and dental care, including accompanying the child to medical and dental appointments and carrying out treatment prescribed by health care providers;
- Coordinate recreational and leisure time activity;
- Monitor a child's school attendance and progress, and attend parental conferences and activities;
- Provide transportation services;
- Maintain a medical passport;
- Attend and provide information at court hearings as specified in the treatment plan; and
- Assist a child in maintaining contact and visitation with the child's biological family unless otherwise indicated in the child's treatment plan.