Therapeutic Foster Care
In this program, specialized foster parents and professional social work staff work as a team to provide safe nurturing home environments for youth with emotional and behavioral difficulties whose birth families are not able to care for them. Therapeutic foster families offer love, guidance, nurturing and appropriate, consistent discipline. Therapists, health care providers and community school staff are involved in the collaboration to treat each child’s needs in a comprehensive manner.
The TFC program has offices in Augusta and Fairfield and provides services to the region (within an approximate 60 mile radius of Augusta). TFC contracts with the Department of Health & Human Services office which licenses each foster home.
About the Children
The children referred to Catholic Charities Maine Therapeutic Foster Care are boys and girls up to age 18 years of age, who are in the custody of the Maine Department Of Health and Human Services. They differ in terms of their backgrounds, life experiences, strengths, needs, and challenges. They do share one thing in common; they hurt, emotionally and often physically and psychologically. Some have seen their parents become unable to care for them because of stress and illness. Many have been victims of family conflicts, which often result in their being neglected or abused. Many suffer from poor self-esteem and lack of trust.
In most ways, foster children are like other children. They want to make friends and learn new skills. They want to succeed in school. They want to play and be carefree. They want to feel loved. Whatever their background, experiences and present difficulties, they can, with the help of loving, nurturing and consistent foster parents, overcome the obstacles they face and grow up to lead healthy, creative, productive, lives.
About the Foster Parents
Therapeutic foster parents are adults (They must be 21 years of age or older) who share their homes with children in need of temporary care apart from their own home. They differ widely in terms of their own backgrounds and present life situations. They may be married or single. Their incomes vary, as do their ages, racial and ethnic heritages and religious preferences. They may own their own homes or live in an apartment. In either case they must be able to provide adequate space for the child or children in their care. If married, both spouses and their children must be committed to foster care, since success requires an effort from all team members. Foster parents must be licensed by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Foster parenting can be a difficult and challenging job, requiring perseverance, dedication and creativity. Most importantly, foster parents provide a safe nurturing family environment for the children in their care. They help their youngsters learn to trust adults, gain confidence in themselves and discover that they are loveable and capable of loving.
Compensation
- Bi-weekly reimbursement based on a daily room and board rate (determined by DHHS Level of Care Assessment).
- Clothing, camp, and recreational allowance (provided by DHHS via TFC).
- Frequent contact with social work staff for support and guidance in implementing the child’s treatment plan.
- 24 hour crisis support system.
- Availability of respite care for the foster child on a regular basis.
- Support from other foster parents and bi-weekly training/discussion groups.
- Other educational opportunities for foster parenting.
- The self-satisfaction gained from helping children in need.
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Office Location
66 Western Avenue
PO Box 378
Fairfield, ME 04937-0378
Tel: 207.453.4370 ext. 2211
Fax:207.453.4371
Email: fosterinfo@ccmaine.org
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