4.4.6 Career Foster Family
A Career Foster Family placement is utilized to meet the needs of children with serious emotional and behavior problems who qualify for the Career Foster Care (CFC) program. This resource provides intensive individualized intervention in a family and community-based setting to prevent unnecessary and inappropriate placements of children in highly structured environments. Career Foster Parents have acquired the knowledge and skills necessary to serve as the primary change agent for children placed in their care.
A career foster home may best meet a child's needs if:
- Because of presenting problems these children would be in a moderate level or above residential treatment facility or psychiatric hospital; or
- Has been discharged from a residential treatment facility or psychiatric hospital and are unable to function in a foster family home.
Presenting problems displayed by the child or diagnoses requiring individualized care may include the following:
- History of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, statements and/or gestures;
- Affective disorders;
- Attention Deficit Disorder;
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder;
- Eating Disorder;
- Panic Disorder;
- Fears/phobias;
- Obsessive/Compulsive Disorders;
- Oppositional Defiant Disorders;
- Depression/withdrawal;
- Disassociative behaviors, blank out, pass out, seizures;
- Anger/rage;
- History of fire setting;
- Destructive of property;
- Failure to form emotional attachments; and
- Multiple short-term placements.
Working with the Child with Developmental Delays
Children with developmental delays may, or may not, be appropriate for Career Foster Care. Appropriateness for CFC should be based on evaluation of the clinical and behavioral characteristics surrounding that particular child. Children should not be ruled out for CFC based solely on the singular characteristic of an IQ score falling below 65. Instead, the team should consider a variety of information, including the following:
- Child’s functioning level;
- Severity of developmental delays;
- Ability for self-care;
- Type of behavior problems;
- Level of physical aggressions;
- Age;
- Compliance;
- Need for supervision;
- Strengths; and
- Challenges.
The Department of Mental Health/Division of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MRDD) can be very valuable in providing expertise about and support for these children and their foster parents or caregivers. If a referral for services to MRDD has not been made in these instances, the case manager should do so immediately by contacting the appropriate MRDD Regional Center.
Chapter Memoranda History: (prior to 1/31/07)
CS03-12, CS03-21, CS03-27, CD04-79, CD05-80, CD06-16, CD06-50