|
|||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Foster
Homes & Therapeutic Foster Homes |
 |
|
In addition to traditional Foster Boarding Homes, the Agency also provides Therapeutic Foster Boarding Homes to a small group of children with significant emotional difficulties. (Jump to Therapeutic Foster Boarding Homes, below.)  The
Foster Boarding Home program has it headquarters in the Mott Haven
section of the Bronx. The program currently provides foster and kinship
care to approximately 300 children who have been referred to the Agency
through the Administration for Children's Services. We were one of
a select few agencies to receive an "Excellent" rating on
the most recent ACS audit.The Foster Boarding Home program provides extensive training to its staff and foster parents in order to provide high quality care for the children who have been placed with the Agency. These children, who often have been neglected, abused, or abandoned, can be challenging and difficult, but the rewards of working with them are great. While children are in foster care, the Foster Boarding Home program works diligently to establish a permanent home for them. Our primary aim is to reunite children with their biological families. However, if this is not possible, the Agency attempts to locate a pre-adoptive home for the child, preferably with the foster parent who has been caring for the child.  The
Foster Boarding Home program works diligently to provide necessary
services to the biological families we serve, in order to overcome
the problems that caused the child's placement in foster care. We
also work closely with the foster parents and children to ensure that
each child is as safe, secure and healthy as possible. We coordinate
our efforts with the Agency's mental health, medical and educational
departments to ensure that all children receive the services they
need to thrive. All of the services mentioned are provided at our
Family Service Center, located at 343 E. 137th St. in the Bronx. Emergency
on-call service is always available at times when the office is closed. The
Foster Boarding Home program continually recruits staff and foster
parents who are eager to accept the challenge of caring for our children.
Foster parents are particularly needed to care for children over the
age of ten, sibling groups of three or more children, and for young
mothers and their infants and children with emotional problems. Foster
parents receive extensive training prior to obtaining their licenses,
must undergo a background check that includes fingerprints, a State
Central Register clearance, and a medical examination.Because the Agency is community-based, Saint Dominic's Home can only license traditional foster parents who reside in Community Districts 1, 6, 7 or 12 in the Bronx. We will refer foster parents from other districts to agencies that serve the district where the foster parent lives. Foster parents for our Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home program, described below, may reside in any Community District in the Bronx. - The Bronx, NY  For
more information, contact:Allen Feltman Director Foster Boarding Home 718-993-5765, ext. 240. Desarae Stewart Homefinding Supervisor 718-993-5765, ext. 213. THERAPEUTIC FOSTER BOARDING HOMES In addition to traditional foster homes, the Agency also provides therapeutic foster boarding homes to a small group of children with significant emotional difficulties. Therapeutic foster boarding homes are family-based alternatives to institutional treatment for children with serious emotional, behavioral and other challenging conditions. The therapeutic foster boarding home program works with children in families, rather than in hospitals or residential treatment centers. The program is located at the Saint Dominic’s Family Service Center at 343 E. 137th St. in the Bronx. Therapeutic Foster Care is similar to traditional foster care, as children are placed in licensed homes in the community and are placed through the Administration for Children's Services. However, because of the difficult nature of the children served, therapeutic foster parents are expected not only to provide basic care and nurturing, but also to carry out specific strategies with the children they parent. Therapeutic foster parents receive more training than traditional foster parents, must carry out and document treatment strategies in the home and generally receive a higher foster care stipend than traditional foster parents. They also receive more support services and work with caseworkers who carry smaller caseloads than in traditional foster care. These parents work with the most challenging children in the foster care system and are expected to persevere with these children despite their intense behavior and the stress they place on the therapeutic foster family. For this reason, frequent home visits, respite services and emergency on-call services are always available to program participants. - The Bronx, NY For more information, contact: Chuck Trotti Therapeutic Foster Boarding Administrative Supervisor 718-993-5765, ext. 200 |
|
|
|
||
|
© 2004-2005 Saint Dominic's Home. All rights reserved. |
|