Homes of Hope Va

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What exactly is treatment foster care?

Treatment Foster Care or TFC is a clinical intervention provided by foster parents who have specialized training to care for a wide variety of children who may have extensive emotional, behavioral, social issues or medical needs. It differs from traditional foster care in that it focuses on a continuity of services that are goal-directed, results oriented, and emphasizes permanency for youth. Treatment is tailored to an individual youth and delivered in a least-restrictive setting i.e., treatment foster home. TFC is often considered an alternative to residential treatment facilities or a step-down from residential care.

What is a foster parent?

A foster parent is a certified caregiver to a child who may live in their home either temporarily or long-term. The goal of a foster parent is to provide stability, nurturing and a safe environment while the ultimate goal remains for the child to return home.

Who can be a foster parent with FHHFOC?

Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, have stable housing and income, adequate space for a child, be able to pass state and federal background checks, have reliable transportation and proof of insurance, and can undergo a home study process.

How do I become a foster parent?

The process of becoming a foster parent includes, but is not limited to, completing an application including references, successfully completing the home study process and required background checks, completing the necessary pre-service training and agreeing to the agency policies and procedures. A FHHFOC Foster Care Specialist will help guide you through the process.

What are the expectations of foster parents?

After a foster home is approved, the family is expected to continually assess for safety and well-being of the foster child. Foster Parents are also expected to be professional members of the child's treatment team. Treatment Foster Parents are often seen as the first line of defense in children having healthier outcomes so their role is more than just providing food and shelter. As treatment is the "work" of treatment foster care, your role will be to support the immediate and on-going needs of treatment foster youth and to help them advance along the treatment continuum.

Will I have to work with the child's parent?

The goal of foster care is always reunification to the biological family, unless mandates report otherwise due to parent’s consistent inability to care for a child. While the child is in foster care, foster parents will work with a team of individuals that may include the case worker from social services, the child placing agency, school offices, physicians / therapists, and the biological family. It is important for emotional stability and positive sense of self for a child to maintain contact with their biological family when possible which may require foster parent contact / visitation with family.

What type of support do foster parents receive?

Our agency offers initial and on-going training, monthly monetary benefits, 24/7 crisis support, respite services, appreciation events, support groups, and professional staff to guide perspective and approved foster families through the process.

What kind of children does FHHFOC serve?

Our agency provides both treatment and non-treatment foster care. Treatment foster care includes children who are 0-17 who may be experiencing behavioral issues, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, emotional disturbance, or cognitive delays often as a result of past experiences.

Can I adopt a foster child in my home?

The goal of foster care is always to reunify the child with their biological family once issues that resulted in removal of care have been resolved. If change does not occur and reunification is no longer a goal, and next of kin denies or is incapable of providing care for the child, the foster family may have the option of adoption.

What is foster-to-adopt and how is it different from traditional or treatment foster care?

Foster adoption or fost-adopt, is a form of adoption in which a child is placed into a home as a foster child, with the expectation that the child will become legally free and be adopted by the foster parents. Some children are not adopted by their foster parents. Their birth parents rights have been terminated, and they are legally free for adoption. In other cases, the child's reunification plan could change to adoption when the issues that initially led to the child's removal remains unresolved. Foster-to-adopt is different from regular foster care or treatment foster care in that the plan for adoption has already been established. With foster care or treatment foster care, the plan is most often reunification with birth family or placement with relatives. When considering foster care, consider your motivation. Would you look at each child as potentially being your own or would you be able to cultivate a relationship between the child and their biological parents and love the children as though they were your own?

Is there financial compensation?

Yes, FHHFOC provides compensation to cover the cost of room and board for foster children. This money is used to cover such expenses as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, recreation and allowance, and should not be considered income. On top of the basic monthly payment, treatment foster parents receive an additional reimbursement based on the child's need and level of support and supervision required. You will not be responsible for your foster child’s medical costs as most of our children have Medicaid. FHHFOC does not have a minimum income requirement. However, your income must be earned and should be sufficient to meet the financial needs of your family without regard to the monthly foster parent stipend.

Can I choose my foster child?

While foster parents are strongly encouraged to share their individual placement preferences such as the age, gender, and number of children they are willing to accept into their home, FHHFOC works to closely match the individual needs of the child with the family who can meet those needs as much as possible.

Where can I get more information?

The agency hosts free foster parent info sessions the second Monday of each month from 6pm-8pm. You may also call us at 804-649-3703 or email us with specific questions at info.fhhfoc@gmail.com.

How does FHHFOC strive for success?

Finding Homes & Hope for Our Children provides treatment and non-treatment foster care to children in the Commonwealth of Virginia who need a safe environment that may be long-term or temporary. Many of the children we serve require specialized foster homes due to cognitive delays, post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral issues, or other attention-specific needs as a result of lived experiences. Our mission to is provide safe homes for children to achieve success while directed toward a time-sensitive achievable goal. Our foster parents are qualified to provide quality care as they have completed the necessary pre-service training, successfully passed a home study evaluation, have no founded barrier crimes when background checks are complete, and have reliable transportation.