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All children need a safe, stable home, but sometimes the home they’re born into is not a good place for them to be.
“Most individuals think a safe place is a given for a child, but unfortunately, for a lot of them, it’s not,” said Jessica Dutton, who works in foster parent recruitment with TFI Family Services, Inc.
Formerly known as The Farm, Inc., TFI Family Services is the reintegration, foster care and adoption contractor for SRS Region One and Region Three in Kansas. Region One encompasses 21 counties in southeast and south central Kansas.
A child is placed in resource foster care when a court determines the child’s home life is dangerous, inappropriate, unhealthy or when the child’s behaviors cannot be managed at home.
Dutton said that there are currently 87 children from Crawford County who are living in out-of-home placement. Of that number, 48 children are placed outside this county.
“We have some kids from this area placed in foster homes as far away as Pottawatomie County,” Dutton said. “They’re not only dealing with the fact they are separated from their parents, but also from their friends, their schools, church, everything familiar to them.”
The solution, of course, is for more Crawford County residents to open their homes and become resource foster parents. The greatest need in the county is for families who will take in teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs.
Foster parents must be 21 years or older and have a permanent residence and an outside source of income. They must have housing space to provide a separate bed for each foster child, and their home must pass inspection by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to ensure that it is safe and suitable for children.
Foster parents must also provide three personal references and must pass Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Child Abuse Registry background checks. Parenting experience is not required.
Finally, those wishing to become resource foster parents must complete Parenting for Safety and Permanent Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting training. The free 10-week course is designed to help applicants make an informed decision about becoming a resource foster parent.
There are various types of placement, the most common being satellite/family, with the child being placed in a home until a permanent living arrangement can be achieved through reintegration with the natural family, placement with a relative, adoption or independent living. This could range from a few days to a year or more.
All children need a safe, stable home, but sometimes the home they’re born into is not a good place for them to be.
“Most individuals think a safe place is a given for a child, but unfortunately, for a lot of them, it’s not,” said Jessica Dutton, who works in foster parent recruitment with TFI Family Services, Inc.
Formerly known as The Farm, Inc., TFI Family Services is the reintegration, foster care and adoption contractor for SRS Region One and Region Three in Kansas. Region One encompasses 21 counties in southeast and south central Kansas.
A child is placed in resource foster care when a court determines the child’s home life is dangerous, inappropriate, unhealthy or when the child’s behaviors cannot be managed at home.
Dutton said that there are currently 87 children from Crawford County who are living in out-of-home placement. Of that number, 48 children are placed outside this county.
“We have some kids from this area placed in foster homes as far away as Pottawatomie County,” Dutton said. “They’re not only dealing with the fact they are separated from their parents, but also from their friends, their schools, church, everything familiar to them.”
The solution, of course, is for more Crawford County residents to open their homes and become resource foster parents. The greatest need in the county is for families who will take in teenagers, sibling groups and children with special needs.
Foster parents must be 21 years or older and have a permanent residence and an outside source of income. They must have housing space to provide a separate bed for each foster child, and their home must pass inspection by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to ensure that it is safe and suitable for children.
Foster parents must also provide three personal references and must pass Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Child Abuse Registry background checks. Parenting experience is not required.
Finally, those wishing to become resource foster parents must complete Parenting for Safety and Permanent Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting training. The free 10-week course is designed to help applicants make an informed decision about becoming a resource foster parent.
There are various types of placement, the most common being satellite/family, with the child being placed in a home until a permanent living arrangement can be achieved through reintegration with the natural family, placement with a relative, adoption or independent living. This could range from a few days to a year or more.
On the other hand is emergency care, involving a child who must be removed immediately from his or her home. A child may be in an emergency care home up to 72 hours.
There are also various levels of care for children who need an increased level of behavior management, mental health services or those with severe emotional and behavioral needs.
Foster parents receive monthly reimbursement averaging from $600 to $3,750, depending on the child’s need, along with a medical card to cover medical and dental needs, in-home behavioral health services with no waiting periods, gas vouchers, mileage reimbursement and transportation assistance for long-distance transports of the child, a yearly clothing allowance, assistance with Christmas gifts and special needs items and
foster parent liability insurance.
Dutton said foster parents also have their own case manager and 24-hour local, on-call social worker/support available through a 1-800-phoneline.
The main reward is in making a difference in a child’s life.
“Providing love and care for a child is not such a hard task,” Dutton said. “I have seen a child turn around full circle once they have that safe, stable environment, that caring role model.”
Anyone interested in becoming a foster parent may call 1-800-279-9914 or visit www.tfifamilyservices.org.
