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 Over
90% of the children in The Baby Fold’s foster
care program are from open family cases served
by the Bloomington Field Office of the Illinois
Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
Other DCFS offices throughout the state also refer
children to The Baby Fold’s foster care program.
DCFS and Juvenile Court have determined, through
a child abuse and neglect investigation and shelter
care hearing, that these children will not be
safe if they remain in their parent’s home and
that foster care is necessary. The children range
in age from newborn infants to youth up to 21
years of age. Children come from all racial, ethnic,
and religious backgrounds. All have experienced
abuse or neglect and separation from their birth
families.
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The parents of children in foster
care have demonstrated their inability to meet
the physical and/or emotional needs of their
children. Some are troubled by substance abuse,
domestic violence or mental health concerns
that interfere with their ability to care for
their children. A client service plan
is developed with parents of children in foster
care to ensure that they are supported in their
efforts towards having their children returned
to them. The single most important service provided
is that of visitation between parents and their
children who are in foster care. Visits offer
parents an opportunity to develop and maintain
a healthy relationship with their children.
In addition, parents receive assessments and
treatment for substance abuse, domestic violence,
and mental health counseling as needed. Parenting
education is also offered, as well as assistance
in securing housing, employment, childcare,
and other supports needed by the parents in
order to provide for their children.
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Foster
parents can be relatives of the children that
can offer a safe environment for the children.
Non-relative foster parents must meet licensing
standards, including extensive training requirements
to ensure that they possess the competencies necessary
to meet the needs of the children.
To
become a licensed foster parent individuals must:
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Be a single
individual or married couple
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Be at least
21 years old
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Live within
30 miles of The Baby Fold’s office in order
to provide the level of service needed
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Be financially
able to provide for their own family’s present
needs
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Complete
an application for foster family home license
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Agree to
have household members 18 years of age or
older complete background checks, including
fingerprinting. Any members of the household
ages 13-17 must authorize a check of the Illinois
Child Abuse and Neglect Tracing System and
the Illinois Child Sex Offender Registry
Sign an agreement to comply with DCFS policy prohibiting
the use of corporal punishment
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Complete
the PRIDE Foster Parent Training Curriculum
Vaccinate all pets annually
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Obtain medical
exams and TB tests for all household members
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Accept the
monthly agency reimbursement for the child’s
expenses
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Commit to
nurture a child during a difficult time
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| All foster parents receive
case management and financial support from the agency
to assist them in caring for foster children. Prospective
foster parents complete 27 hours of pre-licensure/pre-placement
training prior to becoming licensed and having children
placed in their home. A monthly newsletter and regularly
scheduled training are available to all foster parents.
Foster parents have regularly scheduled visits from
their foster child’s caseworker and licensing staff.
The Baby Fold and foster parents work together to
ensure that children in foster care receive necessary
medical care, education, and counseling so that
their developmental needs will be met. Foster
parents receive a monthly payment to cover room
and board, clothing allowance, and personal allowance.
Children receive a medical card to cover their medical
expenses. Funds are available to pay for approved
non-recurring expenses related to a child’s interests
such as sports, music lessons, or other extra-curricular
activities. Foster parents are reimbursed for certain
allowable travel expenses, primarily to ensure regular
visitation for the child with his or her family.
The Baby Fold provides support to foster families
through:
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At least
monthly in-person contact in the foster home,
or more frequently as necessary depending
on case situation
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After-hours
and holiday emergency line to assist foster
families during non-operating business hours
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Ongoing training
opportunities to maintain foster care licensure
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Twice yearly
monitoring of each foster care license by
a family development specialist
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Participation
in quarterly family meetings
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Individual,
group, and family therapy referrals, as needed
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Consultation
available as warranted with clinical psychologist
and child psychiatrist
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Parenting
classes are offered are offered to interested
foster and adoptive families
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Payment for
employment-related day care
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Orientation
meeting for all new families upon licensure
to review agency information and procedures
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Respite care
can be provided per agency policy
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Life books
and training provided to all children upon
entering care
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Monthly informational
newsletter
Foster
Care brochure
To learn more about becoming a foster parent,
contact a Baby Fold Family Development Specialist
at (309) 454-1770.
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The Baby Fold supervises children in home of
relative foster care, licensed traditional foster
care, specialized foster care, and professional
foster care.
Home
of Relative Foster Care
allows children to stay with a relative,
thereby lessening the traumatic impact of the foster
care experience. Relative care providers must pass
criminal background clearance. Licensure is encouraged,
but not required for relative care providers.
Traditional
Foster Care is
available to children within the foster care
system when no viable relative home is available.
Traditional foster parents receive training and
must become licensed. |
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Specialized
Foster Care is available to children
in need of intensive services due to their severe
medical, emotional, or behavioral needs. All
children in specialized foster care have individualized
treatment plans to address their specific needs.
Therapy services are provided to every specialized
foster child who is able to participate in therapy.
Specialized foster parents are licensed and receive
advanced training and supportive services to meet
the needs of the children in their homes.
Professional
Foster Care (PFC) provides the
most intense programming and supervision available
within a foster care setting. The program
provides for the complex needs of children who cannot
be cared for by their own families or in other less
restrictive foster care programs. Children in this
program have treatment plans that specify the services
they will receive from professional foster parents,
residential counselors, caseworkers, and therapists.
PFC is an option that provides a successful alternative
to group home or residential care for children with
moderate to severe behavioral, emotional, social,
or learning/developmental problems.
The therapeutic milieu provided in PFC creates an
intentional atmosphere within the home to engage
each youth to change undesirable behaviors and develop
skills which will help them be successful.
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Some
of the primary diagnoses include:
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Anxiety Disorder
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Bi-polar
Disorder
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Attention
Deficit Disorder
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Depression
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Reactive
Attachment Disorder
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Conduct Disorder
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Encopresis/Enuresis
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Oppositional
Defiant Disorder
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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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FAS/FAE
This above list is by no means inclusive, but reflects
the general client population.
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| Children are able to
function in a small group foster family setting
(2-4 children) and cope with the intimacy of family
life.
Some children may return home. Others may
require care until they are adopted or move to independent
living situations. All the children need and
deserve the nurturing yet structured environment
of Professional Foster Homes.
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Professional foster care parents
are trained, experienced, licensed foster parents
who are paid employees of The Baby Fold.
They are required to have a minimum of five
years experience as a licensed foster parent,
three years of which is specialized or a licensed
foster parent with five years direct residential
care work in child welfare. Professional
foster parents are members of a treatment team
who provide day-to-day care and services to
children temporarily placed in their home.
They work closely with the team and other professionals
to develop and carry out each child’s individual
treatment plan, and to achieve permanency for
the children. They supervise residential
counselors, who are employed to work in Professional
Foster Homes, to provide therapeutic based services
to children and support to the Professional
Foster Parents.
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The professional/treatment model of foster care
provides one-on-one therapeutic support to children
as well as additional support to foster parents
by providing full-time residential counselors who
are assigned to work with children in each professional
foster home. All staff in Professional Foster
Care are trained in Cornell University’s Therapeutic
Crisis Intervention (TCI) Program. A consistent
approach of behavior management and problem solving
is used throughout the program. TCI techniques
are to help children to develop new responses.
The crisis situation is used as a learning and growing
experience.
Professional Foster Care intake supervisors and
team members work closely with DCFS Clinical Coordinators
to ensure the safety and well-being of children
placed in Profession Foster homes.
All DCFS regions are able to place children in The
Baby Fold’s PFC homes; however, priority will be
given to those children referred from the Central
Region.
Professional Foster Care brochure
Notice of Privacy Practices |
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The Baby Fold
Foster Care Services
612 Oglesby Avenue
Normal, IL 61761
Phone: (309) 454-1770
Fax:
(309) 454-9257
Provider ID: 020329
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