Questions & Answers
Q. What is
Treatment Foster Care?
A. Treatment
Foster Care serves children who have emotional and/or behavioral
problems serious enough to interfere with their ability to be in
a traditional foster care setting. Treatment Foster Care works
to give children in transition a safe and supportive place to
live.
Q. How does
LSS Treatment Foster Care differ from traditional foster care?
A. The key to
Treatment Foster Care is the support provided to foster parents
and children. LSS staff is available 24 hours a day for the
challenging times. In addition, at least weekly, staff meets
with the foster child and family to work on measurable goals and identified
outcomes that address the child’s need areas.
Q. What are
some responsibilities of a foster parent?
A. The main
responsibility is to provide foster children with a stable
family structure and positive values in a supportive, supervised
living situation. In addition children need foster parents who
can:
- teach life skills
- take time to listen and help
sort through problems
- recognize that they come from
all different backgrounds and may have been raised with
different values
- help establish positive
relationships in the family and community.
Q. Can a
single parent become a foster parent?
A. Absolutely! We
are looking for foster parents as diverse as the children we
serve- who are single, married, vary in age and ethnicity. Additionally, the
only age requirement is that you must be over 21.
Q. How do you
apply to become a foster parent?
A. Call LSS at
218/236-1494, or find local office
information, and request a Treatment Foster Care Information
Packet. The Information Packet will inform you about Treatment
Foster Care provider qualifications, responsibilities of
Treatment Foster Parents and requirements for the foster care
licensing process. If you are interested in applying for foster
parenting, an LSS Treatment Foster Care Coordinator will come to
your home and explain the licensing and application process.
Q. How many
children can be placed in a home?
A. The total
number of foster children placed in a treatment home is
typically two. On some occasions that number may increase if
there is a need to place a sibling group together or a child had
been previously placed in a home and needs to return to that
home.
Q. Is there
reimbursement for parenting foster children?
A. Yes. There is a
financial reimbursement based on a child’s level of care. This
is a reimbursement and not income, which means it is
non-taxable. Average reimbursement per foster child is $30/day.
Q. Why is
there a need for foster parents?
A. There are
simply not enough people willing to open up their homes to the
almost 11,300 Minnesota children in the foster care system.
Children need you to consider becoming a foster parent. It is
your opportunity to provide a child in need with a safe home and
hopeful future.
For more information call as at
218/236-1494
