TYPES OF FOSTER CARE

What are the different types of foster care?

Each year more than 23,000 youth turn 18 without ever having a family to call their own. Our job is to develop a diverse group of families and individuals that can meet the variety of needs children have. You can help by becoming a foster parent. Foster parents are essential to helping youth learn new ways to handle emotions and build resilience. We are always searching for foster parents and families. Take a look at the different types of foster care below to determine what best fits your lifestyle. 

Become a Foster Parent

Traditional Foster Care

Traditional foster care is for those who are willing to care for a child, or sibling group, in state custody for an undetermined amount of time. As a foster parent, you have the opportunity to help create a safe and nurturing home for children, provide support and guidance for parents, and be a part of a system that helps families heal.


Medical Foster Care

Some foster youth may have significant developmental delays and medical conditions that require specialized care to meet the child’s needs. This is where medical foster care parents come in.  We will help provide specific training and connections to community resources to assist with addressing the safety and health of the child in their care.


Elevated Needs Foster Care

A safe place to sleep is a child’s first step to health and healing. Through no fault of their own, children who have been removed from their home experience trauma, including extreme emotional shock, significant loss and fear of the unknown. Without a trusted and structured home that promotes healing, children may have long-lasting psychological effects.

That’s where you come in. You can become a foster parent to support the elevated needs of children and youth in our community. Due to significant trauma, children with elevated needs require more patience, understanding and positive reinforcement from their caretakers.  Foster families of elevated needs foster youth will have developed additional skills to meet the higher needs of the youth. But you’re not alone. We’ll be right by your side the entire time.


Treatment Foster Care

Children and youth in our community who have been removed from their home are seeking compassionate treatment foster care parents. Treatment foster care is the highest level of care. It requires both strength and patience for children and youth who have experienced extreme trauma. Our trauma-informed team will provide you with an enhanced and individualized level of support to help children heal and prepare for the future:

  • 24/7 access support.
  • Specialized foster parent support groups.
  • Regular phone calls to check on the child’s behavior and your emotional well-being. It is our priority to support you in becoming a successful treatment foster parent.


Relative/Kinship Foster Care

This is the first type of placement we search for when a child is removed from their home. Relative, or kinship, foster parents are contacted directly by us when a child they know needs a foster placement. As a relative foster parent, you are related to the youth needing care, such as a cousin or nephew. As a kinship foster parent, you know this child directly from your community, such as you may have been the child's coach or teacher.


Respite Care (Temporary Care)

Respite, or temporary care, is essential to the foster care program. It is care provided to a foster or adopted child for a short period of time — for as little as 24 hours up to a few days — by someone other than the primary caregivers (i.e., foster, adoptive or kinship parents). Respite care gives the primary caregivers and the children a chance to have short, regular periods of time apart, which is imperative to help prevent caregiver fatigue and burnout. 

Become a Foster Parent