Fostering Childen.
We work closely with DCS in the placement and ongoing support of children who are medically fragile and/or have an intellectual or developmental disability. Our Children’s Services are family based, utilizing a specialized foster care program. This unique service places children with disabilities in a family setting with specially trained foster parents. Our goal is to provide safety, wellbeing, and permanency for children with Intellectual & Development Disabilities (IDD) through nurturing, trauma informed care.
Children are matched with families based on common interests and level of need. This allows children to participate in the activities they enjoy as well as experience new activities together with their families. The family cares for the needs of the child 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In this care program, children can grow within a consistent, personally nurturing environment.
We care about providing children the best opportunities to reach a healthy, happy adulthood. We create environments of safety and support for children, in which they are best equipped to meet their milestones and realize their fullest potential. Working towards achieving permanency through reunification, adoption, or continued care, while, above all, ensuring a safe, healthy, and nurturing environment for children in our care. Based on the DCS permanency plan, we work to reintegrate children back to their families, provide support to established potential adoptive placements, and— if those options are unsuccessful— to establish planned permanency living arrangements.
Our specialized foster care families also serve youth as they age out of Foster Care through Permanent Planned Living Arrangements and Extensions of Foster Care.
Our administrative staff work with case managers to assist with enrolling in the adult waivers (ECF, DIDD, etc.). By doing this, we are able to bridge services for disabled youth from DCS Custody to care as an adult in the Medicaid Waiver without disrupting placement. In bridging these services, we hope to provide a continuous cycle of care and support, enabling children in our care to experience positive, lasting results of person centered care within their own lives.
We strictly adhere to DCS protocols and guidelines, and go above and beyond to ensure the best possible care for our youth by further training our foster families in computer system documentation, CPR, and First Aid as well as TN KEY training.
Through the pre-approval training with TN KEY, you will learn how foster parents work with DCS to improve the lives of children, information about current DCS policies on caring for children in custody, and ultimately if foster parenting is right for you. Whether you want to provide a temporary home for children in need or have the ultimate goal of adoption, TN KEY training will help prepare you for the unique challenges and rewards of becoming a foster parent.
After completing your training during the contracting process, you will wait to be matched with a child who you are compatible with. The placement of a foster child in your home and care may be immediate, or may take months, depending on the children currently in the Tennessee foster care system and they type of child you are willing to parent.
If you are interested in therapeutic foster care for children with disabilities, please fill out the information below.
