Do you have experience caring for youth with elevated needs?

Treatment Foster Care may be perfect for you!

KVC Missouri’s Treatment Foster Care Program is a form of specialized foster care that provides individualized therapeutic interventions to children with significant medical, developmental, emotional or behavioral needs who require a higher level of care. The program provides caregivers with additional support to allow youth in foster care with elevated needs to be successful in a community-based family setting.

Treatment foster homes provide highly structured, around-the-clock care to youth aged 6 to 21. Most children in Treatment Foster Care have successfully transitioned out of residential care but need additional time and support in a structured home setting before returning to a permanent home. This is a great fit for caregivers who have experience caring for youth with elevated needs. In our Treatment Foster Care program, you will:

• Undergo free, specialized training to meet the needs of the youth in your care
• Play a large role as part of the youth’s treatment team
• Receive a higher reimbursement rate to meet the needs of the child
• Receive 12 days of paid vacation per year and 2 respite days per month
• Access 24/7 support from your KVC Treatment Foster Care Specialist, in-home support services, behavioral consultations, skilled supervision and emotional support
• Have the opportunity to provide a loving, stable home for a child that needs it most

Want to learn more? Contact a foster parent recruiter.

The Goal of Treatment Foster Care

The main goal of Treatment Foster Care is to provide children with elevated needs with a more intensive but less restrictive placement until they can be successful in a more traditional home setting. Treatment Foster Care placements are intended to be short-term, usually around nine months. However, there may be times that the placement could be shorter or longer, depending on the treatment goal progress and the availability of step-down placement options.

Treatment Foster Care parents serve an important role as the primary change agent in a child’s life. You help the child develop positive relationships and social, emotional and behavioral skills. The child attends school in your community, enabling you to work with the child’s teachers to oversee academic progress.

Training Requirements

Caregivers must complete 30 hours of pre-service training curriculum to become licensed traditional foster parents before receiving the training to become a Treatment Foster Care home. An additional 27 hours of approved specialized training is required to become a Treatment Foster Care home.

Support for Financial and Medical Needs

The daily reimbursement rate for this level of care is higher than that of general foster care and dependent on the needs of each child. The rate is designed to cover daily living expenses and other needs. Each youth in the custody of the State of Missouri receives a medical card as well as an annual clothing allowance.

Additional Support from KVC Missouri

Our KVC team provides an array of support to help you along the way, including:

• Initial and ongoing training opportunities
• Foster parent therapists and support groups
• Mental health treatment for the children in your care either with a KVC therapist or help connecting with community resources
• An enhanced daily reimbursement rate to support the youth in your care
• Respite care resources
• A Treatment Foster Care Specialist dedicated to supporting you in identifying treatment plan goals, regularly evaluating treatment plan progress and making adjustments as needed, locating any additional services needed and participating in family support/treatment team meetings. These workers have smaller caseloads so they can dedicate more time to you.

Have questions? Contact a foster parent recruiter, or call us at 844-424-3577.

Accreditations

The Joint Commission

Sponsors of this Program

Missouri Alliance for Children and Families
Missouri Department of Social Services – Children’s Division