What are the ages of the children and youth served?

Over 75% of our client referrals are adolescents ages 11 and older. Although trends change over time, adolescent referrals appear to be increasing. There are occasions that we receive referrals on younger children.

What are some of the difficulties the children and youth served experience?

The children and youth referred to our program experience severe emotional & behavioral difficulties, learning difficulties and school problems, and significant chronic medical problems.

What are the general expectations of a treatment foster parent?

A treatment foster parent must be able to provide a nurturing and structured home environment, close supervision of the treatment foster child, transportation to birth family visits & all other significant appointments, work closely with Treatment Foster Care Team toward the foster child's treatment goals, and work with the birth family.

How do I get treatment foster care services for foster children I currently have in my home through the local Department of Social Services?

You must contact the Department of Social Services (DSS) that placed the child and work with your DSS caseworker to receive more services. The Center for Family Services (CFS) cannot provide any therapeutic foster care services for children placed in your home by the Department of Social Services' Regular Foster Care Program. Likewise, CFS cannot switch a child from Kinship Care or Regular Foster Care to the CFS Therapeutic Foster Care program. You must contact the Department of Social Services.

I am currently licensed with another agency, how do I become licensed with your agency?

If you are currently licensed with another agency, you cannot proceed with the Center for Family Services licensure process. State regulations prohibit foster parent licensure with more than one agency. This includes licensure with kinship care, regular foster care, and therapeutic/treatment foster care agencies.

What geographic area do most of your foster parents come from?

We license parents from primarily Baltimore City and the surrounding Central Maryland Counties, Cecil and Carroll Counties. Realistically, families need to be located in close enough proximity that they can attend parent training sessions, and consistent weekly, face-to-face contact can be made for therapy appointments at the Center for Family Services Offices (Harford County, Abingdon & Baltimore City, Mount Royal).

What are all the requirements of the licensure process?

• Applicants must meet the minimum eligibility requirements;
• Information Meeting Attendance
• Complete 30 hours of pre-service training (7 Sessions);
• Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Therapeutic Hold Trainings;
• Turn in all necessary application and licensure documentation;
• Participate in Home Study Process;
• State and Federal Criminal Background Checks (Fingerprinting) for
prospective foster parents & all household members age 18 and older;
• Child Protective Service Clearance (CPS);
• MD driving record (0-3 points);
• Physician's Statement (within the past 6 months or new physical is needed)
for all household members (must indicate good health and Tuberculosis
(TB) Clearance);
• Health and Fire Inspections/Survey from the County Departments;
• Well Water Test if applicable;
• Three non-relative references;
• School references for all school-aged children living your home.

Please note - prospective parents should not seek completion of any other requirements prior to completion of attendance at the Information Meeting & Pre-Service Training.

How many treatment foster children do you place within treatment foster homes?

Given the nature of the difficulties experienced by the children and youth referred to our Treatment Foster Care Program, it is our preference to place only one treatment foster child in a home. However, there are rare circumstances that warrant placement of more than one child in a home (i.e. sibling groups). When this becomes necessary, the dual placement would largely depend on the experience of the foster parents, whether the parents have any biological/adopted children in the home, and overall the family/home dynamics must be able to appropriately support more than one CFS treatment foster child.

Once licensed with the Center for Family Services, can I provide respite services or 'back-up' services to other foster parents who are licensed by other agencies?

No. You can only accept foster children from the Center for Family Services Treatment Foster Care Program.