Youth Homes

“It just takes somebody average who has the will and the want - a person who wants a relationship, and wants a child. You’re going to want to love him and you don’t need any special requirements to love a child.”
- Jerry, a boy adopted through our Dan Fox – Adoption Services

• A: Youth Homes serves children and youth ages 1 to 18. They have entered foster care because they are unable to live with their birth families either temporarily or permanently, often because of abuse or neglect.

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• A: Your commitment to the youth is far shorter than with a much younger child. Older youth are often self-sufficient with their own interests and activities. They may not be looking for a mom or dad, but rather a life coach or a mentor. And families with older youth tend to stay youthful themselves and to grow in new ways. And many families find the personality of teens to be entertaining and challenging in a good way.

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• A: Younger children may be available for adoption. They can grow and adjust to fit into your family. But you may not be ready to make that decision up front and we can support you to take your time to make such a big decision. On the other hand, you may have a child placed who may or may not return to his or her family and it might be hard to let go and let the child explore that option.

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• A: We look for all types of families who can provide a supportive and stable home environment: single parents, married couples, families of color, empty nesters, home owners, renters, and gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual parents. A disproportionate number of children of color enter the Montana child welfare system. Youth Homes is committed to diversity and anti-racism, and we provide culturally appropriate services. We also look for families who, when appropriate, can step up to offer a permanent home for a youth through adoption or by becoming their legal guardian.

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• A: The Dan Fox Family Care Program staff seek to maintain and, in some cases, to build a positive relationship with birth families. This often brings children and youth a sense of culture, history, and self. Our top priority is to ensure that this contact is safe, and we offer support and supervision when necessary.

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• A: We bring our potential foster families through a process that meets both Dan Fox Family Care Program and Montana state requirements to become a foster parent. The process includes a licensing or certification process. This involves getting background checks for all the adults in a household, filling out an application and other paperwork, attending trainings, having a home check, and completing an assessment process. We also meet with you so you can learn more about fostering and so we can learn more about you and your family. This helps us determine the best fit for both child and your family.

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Q: What is Casey Family Programs?

• A: Established by United Parcel Service founder Jim Casey, the Seattle-based national operating foundation has served children, youth, and families in the child welfare system since 1966.

• Casey collaborates with foster, kinship, and adoptive parents to provide safe, loving homes for youth in its direct care. The foundation also collaborates with counties, states, and American Indian and Alaska Native tribes to improve services and outcomes for the more than 500,000 young people in out-of-home care across the U.S.

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• A: We offer a wide variety of services and supports to families and children tailored to meet specific needs including:

o Making matches with families and then making the placement thoughtfully and as slowly as possible and appropriate.
o Advocating for foster parents needs
o Social work support and therapeutic interventions
o Offering case management services
o Affording the family with 24-hour staff availability
o Providing financial reimbursement
o Insuring there is health and mental health insurance coverage over and above what stipends we give to the foster parents
o Training in child development and other related topic
o Offer on-going foster parent training and support groups
o Respite where another family takes the child temporarily to give you a break
o Life skills services for young adults up to age 18 or graduation from high school whichever is later. We assist with placement and adoption

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• A: Children in foster care need many caring adults in their lives on a consistent basis. Short-term or respite care is one way to get involved by providing care to children for a specified time while foster parents are unavailable or taking a break. It can be as short as a few hours or as long as a few weeks. Other ways to be involved include mentoring, tutoring, providing transportation, or job training.

• A: Call our main office in Missoula and speak to our family developer at (406) 721.2754 extension 204 or email him at bneaves@youthhomes.com

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