Support Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families
CHAPTER THREE Support Services for Adoptive, Foster, and Kinship Care Families Like early preparation and development of prospective parents, post-placement support is critical to achieving the goal of finding and maintaining a pool of stable, loving families for children and youth, as well as helping families succeed and thrive after the placement. Children and youth often need therapeutic and other services to help them heal from the trauma, loss, and grief they experi- enced in their early lives and build trust and attachment in their new family. They need connections with their peers to help normalize their experiences and can benefit from mentors and other role models. Parents also need connections with their peers and access to information, training, and respite. Many families need crisis services from time to time or case management to help them figure out how and where to get the help they need. All members of the foster, adoptive, or kinship family may need access to child welfare-competent, effective mental health services. In this chapter, we explore the types of adoptive, foster, and kinship care support services available, the qualities that make the services most effective, and which services are most commonly provided now. Then, we profile 31 programs that are currently offering an array of services to children, youth, and families involved in adoption, foster care, and kinship care. These profiles are designed to show you, as a State, Tribal, or Territorial administrator, what’s working in other communities and what’s possible in your own jurisdiction. Types of Services Support services for children, youth, and families in adoption, foster care, and kinship care typically fit into the 15 broad categories outlined below.
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