Foster Homes for Dependent Children

The agency provides foster care services for children age 18 and younger and their families, including those with special needs, who are placed under the auspices of the court for a variety of reasons, including physical abuse, sexual abuse or neglect. Services include foster parent/family recruitment, foster care for dependent children, and foster home placement. Children must be placed through DCFS. It places children in homes in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, and San Bernardino. Children may be referred for long-term, emergency or respite care. Age restrictions apply; there are no geographic restrictions.

Children are referred for placement by the court and other child protection agencies and are from varied religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Each child is assigned an agency social worker who evaluates them for medical, psychological, cognitive and educational needs; an individual treatment plan is developed. Family reunification is a goal, where appropriate, and the agency monitors supervised visits including transportation for the child to a neutral site for the meeting.

The agency recruits foster families who have gainful employment and an income level sufficient to cover their expenses. Adults must also pass a physical examination provided by their own physician. Foster families are screened in a process which includes a thorough home and character evaluation.

Ongoing training and support for the foster family is provided and crisis-intervention is available on a 24 hour basis.