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Home : Services
& Programs : Services for Children
: Therapeutic Foster Care
Who the program serves
Children enrolled in the TFC program range from infants to age
18, although they are generally school aged. While the TFC program
serves primarily Elkhart County, children from surrounding counties
may also be considered for placement. Children who qualify for the
program must:
- be a ward of the referring county Division of Family and Children
or County Juvenile Probation Department;
- have emotional and/or behavioral problems to the extent that
they are at risk for institutional placement;
- be recommended for care by the County Local Coordinating Committee
or court ordered into specialized therapeutic foster care placement.
Case management
Upon placement in a home, each child is assigned a case manager
who:
- acts as a liaison between the foster family and other community
agencies;
- provides regular supervision and support for the child, both
at home and in school;
- assists foster parents in designing and implementing behavior
modification interventions for the child;
- serves with foster parents as the childís advocate in securing
any additional needed community services;
- works with foster parents, the child and the birth family in
the reunification process or toward an alternative permanent plan when reunification is not
possible;
- assists in the development of aftercare services to the child
and family after reunification.
Foster parent responsibilities
In addition to providing for the childís basic
physical needs of food, clothing, shelter and medical
care, therapeutic foster parents offer instruction,
supervision, positive role modeling, sensitivity,
praise, encouragement, and appropriate discipline.
The foster home environment should be one that is
safe, secure, and promotes emotional, physical and
spiritual growth. Foster parents work with the child
and intensive case manager toward permanency, be
that reunification, adoption, or independent living.
Foster parent benefits:
- professional growth
- increased self and personal growth
- recognition from children, the community and the agency
- formal training and support
- improved parenting skills
- new friends
- financial reimbursement
- respite care when needed
- a sense of helping families and children toward health and wholeness.
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