Being a kid isn’t easy. Whether you’re a biological or foster parent, you know that a child needs a lot of care and attention so that they can grow up to be the great person they are meant to be. Some foster children require a little extra care due to physical or mental health issues, or a trauma that occurred earlier in life. For these children, specialized foster care is the best option. Specialized foster care programs provide homes for children with caregivers specifically trained to help a child with a special condition.
Types of Specialized Foster Care
Medically Complex Care
In this program, parents are trained to foster children with physical, medical conditions that require long-term care. A social worker will work closely with the parents and perform home inspections regularly. This program helps children with a wide variety of conditions, including one or more of the following:
- Physical injuries either by accident or abuse
- Chronic illnesses
- Feeding issues
- Asthma
- Cardiac conditions
- Burns
- Low birth weight complications
- Conditions that require children to be wheelchair-bound
Therapeutic Care
This program was created to find the perfect home for children living with psychiatric disorders. Indeed, these can include depression, anxiety, ADHD, and other mood disorders that can cause difficulty in a child’s life. These conditions can arise from trauma, which may need to be further addressed with therapy. A social worker will be assigned to the parents of these children to work directly with them to ensure that the child is receiving the best care.
Learn More About Specialized Foster Care
Children in specialized foster care are usually those who have struggled in traditional foster care settings. Also, they may have long histories of placement disruptions. A caring home environment is crucial to their development and prevents hospitalization. Further, families participating in this level of foster care must be fully dedicated to giving the child a place to feel safe and loved.
If you would like to learn more about specialized foster care, don’t hesitate to contact us today.