Foster Care Program Outline & Goals

Families For Children, a foster family and adoption agency licensed by the California Department of Social Services has the following goals:

• To develop foster and adoptive homes capable of responding to the emotional and behavioral needs of neglected and abused children.

• To provide education, support and therapeutic services to those families.

• To minimize traumatic effects on a child as a result of being removed from the home or previous placement.

• To reduce the number of disruptions in the childs life.

• To provide treatment for emotional problems of the child.

• To recognize and treat the "whole" child.

• To provide a nurturing and wholesome environment to a child in need.

• Families For Children is a viable alternative to group homes. Together with our foster parents, we are able to provide nurturing environments with individual attention to children in need. Our homes vary from one parent homes to two parent homes with children. All of these homes have much to offer. We accept long-term, short-term, emergency placements, fost/adopt programs and offer relinquishment adoption services in addition.

• Families For Children's program is a comprehensive one. We have Master's level social workers who coordinate the services for the child with the placement worker, the foster parent and the natural parents when possible. Our Licensed Clinical Social Workers are available for therapeutic sessions with those children in need of treatment.

• Each child placed with our trained foster and adoptive families receives a complete assessment to determine his/her needs. We look at the physical, emotional, educational, social and spiritual needs of every child. A service plan is then developed.

• The Agency social worker, the placement worker and the foster family work as a team to achieve the goals of the service plan. The Agency's social worker provides support, guidance and counseling on a regular basis to both the children and the foster family. We are very flexible and other services are provided as needed. Psychological and psychiatric consultation is also available.

• We believe that a positive and nurturing environment will help a child to grow to his/her full potential. Working together with our families as a team toward a common goal, we can provide services that will enable the children to obtain their full potential.