Historical Development

Durham, Highland Shores and Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Aid Societies have enjoyed a long history of collaboration. The Treatment Foster Care Program was one innovation arising out of a successful interagency approach to service delivery.

In the mid 1980's the Tri-Agency Co-ordination Project, a Ministry funded experiment in service collaboration, sponsored as one of its committees a group home task force, whose task it was to assess the group home utilization patterns of the three Societies. That committee published its findings in the OACAS Journal in September of 1989. Highlighted concerns were out of community placements and a lack of treatment focus in group care services.

A task force was appointed to look at alternatives, and the treatment foster care model was selected as a viable option. A grant proposal was funded, beginning a two year pilot project. The program began in October of 1989, accepting its first placement in Spring of 1990.

As part of the pilot phase, active research was conducted by Program staff in collaboration with Queen's University, and by the Ministry of Community and Social Services. Research findings were;

·              That children residing in the Treatment Foster Care Program would have been placed in staff model group care if it were not for the Program. Further, the level of disturbance was such that care would have been at the "high end" of the service spectrum.

·              That treatment foster care services could be offered to symptomatic children at far less cost to the Societies.

·              That the quality of service provided through this model of service delivery was at least equal to and generally superior to, alternate residential services for this client population.

·              That children residing in the Program improved in functioning as measured on the Ontario Child Health Study well being scale, in many cases to the level of statistical significance.

The research was completed in Spring of 1992.  Results were published in the OACAS Journal, the OFTA Networker, the International Journal of Family Care , and reviewed in Child Welfare. That spring the Program was made a permanent part of services for the three Societies.

The Treatment Foster Care Program for the Children's Aid Societies of Durham, Highland Shores and Kawartha-Haliburton has become an important model for experiments in foster care and treatment foster care.

About Treatment Foster Care

Treatment Foster Care is one of the most rapidly growing forms of caring for troubled children and youth today. It is an exciting and highly effective model of care, bringing together the strength of ordinary family living with the latest in clinical thinking.

About Foster Parent Therapists

The treatment provider, known as Foster Parent Therapist, is the front line caregiver in a team also consisting of Child and Youth Care Workers, Social Workers, Psychologists and an Art Therapist.

With the help of weekly supervision, monthly formal training and a 24 hour clinical on call system, the Foster Parent Therapist learns effective techniques to help a child grow emotionally and change behaviourally.

Children We Serve

The child who is referred may be depressed, acting out, suffer from a psychiatric illness, or a family crisis. He or she may have trouble forming relationships, or may be struggling to work out past relationships.

Whatever the need, the child can be helped in your family setting and we are there to help you in the process.

Children At School

A troubled child's school hours are as important as the hours at home. The treatment team may support the school's efforts to help a child through behavioural consultation, occasional in class assistance, and through regular formal and informal communication.

Work With Families

The child's own family is an important resource to the team. Special efforts are made to keep the family involved, setting goals, and striving to meet them. For an experienced Foster Parent Therapist, helping the child and his family work through their relationship can be very rewarding.

Family work may be done by a team worker along with the Society Worker, an outside agency or with support and supervision by the Foster Parent Therapist.

Becoming a Foster Parent Therapist

Foster Parent Therapists are experienced in working with children and licensed foster parents of either Durham, Highland Shores or Kawartha-Haliburton Children's Aid Societies. Once approved by the Society, foster parents can apply to become Foster Parent Therapists.

Prospective Foster Parent Therapists receive orientation and have a chance to meet other Foster Parent Therapists. At the same time interviews are conducted by TFC staff. Once approved, Foster Parent Therapists receive intensive training by TFC staff before having children placed with them.

Think About It!

Are you and your family ready for the challenge of providing treatment in your home? Are you ready to join a dynamic team? If so, call now!

For more information, call the Program Office of your local Children's Aid Society