Foster Care
Children deserve the opportunity to grow up in a home where they are loved, nurtured, and wanted. Regrettably, that is not always the case. Parents or legal guardians may lose temporary custody of a child for any number of reasons, including neglect, the inability to provide a child with adequate food, shelter and clothing, or even abuse.
St. Catherine’s Foster Care program serves children removed from parental care in a therapeutic home setting. Our children are matched with trained foster parents and families who provide a safe and stable home environment. The process begins with our professional home finders identifying potential foster care providers.
Once a potential foster care provider is identified and passes background checks, St. Catherine’s employs the National Training and Development Curriculum (NTDC), a state-of-the-art classroom and online program that trains prospective foster parents, and provides information and resources needed to continue building skills once they have a child in their home.This is a new curriculum based on research and input from experts in the field, including families who have experience with fostering children, and former foster and adoptive youth.
Once a foster care provider receives initial training, the provider is ready to be matched with a child. After the child is placed, St. Catherine’s provides 24/7 staff support, opportunities for peer-to-peer meetings with other foster parents, respite services, and additional training and resources to help foster families succeed. The support also includes support in the planning and implementation of treatment plans for the child.
In situations where it is appropriate for a child to be reunited with their biological parent(s), that is the program’s ultimate goal–restoration of the family unit. When reunification is not possible, our team works to find a loving and supportive home for adoption. It is not uncommon for a deep bond to develop between foster parents and a child, resulting in the relationship becoming permanent through legal adoption.
How Critical is Foster Parenting?
Get to Know the Facts!
Children and youth in
foster care in the U.S.
Children in youth and
foster care in NYS
Children in foster care with
significant mental health issues
Foster Care children are
reunited with biological parent(s)
*Statistics source from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, the U.S. Children’s Bureau, New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Contact St. Catherine’s Center for Children
For more information about this program, please contact us today.
