The Role of a Therapeutic Foster Parent

Therapeutic foster care is sometimes referred to as treatment foster care and involves caring for children and teens who require a higher level of care. Foster children who benefit from the therapeutic care model have levels of needs that cannot be served in traditional foster care but can be served in the community under the care of highly skilled therapeutic foster parents.

These children express behavioral, emotional, physical, or medical issues in response to trauma they’ve experienced in their own homes or trauma they’ve experienced in the removal from their homes even as it is for their own safety. A child is at risk of re-traumatization each time they are moved to a different family.

To remove this risk, Benchmark Family Services carefully matches the foster child with a therapeutic foster parent who has gone through specialized foster parent training in Indiana or Kentucky. They are experienced to give unwavering support to help meet the child’s needs.

The Role of a Therapeutic Foster Parent

Benchmark’s therapeutic foster parents are dedicated individuals who have passed all background checks, demonstrated their ability to provide a stable environment, and successfully completed the specialized and comprehensive training in therapeutic care we give them.

The role of therapeutic foster parents is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home environment to a foster child who has higher needs. As highly skilled caregivers, they commit to being a pivotal part of the child’s treatment team and actively engage in the child’s well-being.

They implement the child’s treatment plan and collaborate with community professional services to help ensure the child’s continuum of care. They attend events and meetings and advocate for the child while working cooperatively with Benchmark. These parents are the daily eyes and ears of our agency to monitor and report on the child’s progress and any developing needs. Most importantly, they don’t give up on the child.

Therapeutic foster parents play a vital role in helping high-needs children thrive in the face of their challenges. They are a network of tenacious supporters who embrace the demands that come with fostering youth hindered from experiencing the typical life of childhood.

Becoming a Therapeutic Foster Parent

Accept the challenge and reap the priceless rewards that come with making a significant difference in a child’s life. Contact Benchmark Family Services in Indiana, Kentucky and Western Pennsylvania for more information. There’s a child waiting for you.