Therapeutic Foster Care

The current crisis facing our state:

Oregon is experiencing a statewide shortage of foster homes available to care for children of all ages. There is a particularly high need to find homes for children who have experienced high levels of trauma and youth who require more one on one support.

“The lack of foster homes and therapeutic placements for traumatized children has reached a crisis level, and Oregon’s most vulnerable children are paying an exorbitant price… In the last year, Oregon’s child welfare system lost approximately 400 foster home beds and 100 residential placements.”
—Judges Nan Waller, Susie L. Norby and Ricardo J. Menchaca, Oregonlive.com

Nationwide

Each year, more than 400,000 children are in foster care.

In the state of Oregon

In 2016:

A total of 11,191 children spent at least one day in some kind of foster care
3,808 children entered Oregon’s foster care system
12.4% of Oregon’s foster youth have experienced 6 or more placements.

What is Therapeutic Foster Care?

Empowering Families to Create Stronger Communities

Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) is a higher level of care that provides skill development and support to children with moderate to high emotional and behavioral needs.
Maple Star provides BRS services in a therapeutic foster care setting. This allows children to receive this higher level of care and support, while remaining in a family and community setting, avoiding residential treatment facilities or group home placement.
Maple Star Oregon partners with the State of Oregon’s Department of Human Services (DHS) to offer this higher level of care to foster youth. Our homes are uniquely trained and supported to care for the needs of each youth. Each youth is supported with an individualized service plan, outlining goals for the foster parents to help the youth work towards during their placement.
Placements are meant to be short-term in order to help children stabilize and find permanency as soon as possible. However, we recognize that each child is unique and the timeframe for their placement will vary depending on their needs. This means some placements may last a year or longer, with others lasting only a few months.

How does Therapeutic Foster Parenting differ from traditional foster parenting? Our Parents:

Foster only one or two youth in the home at a time
Provide higher levels of supervision to ensure child’s safety
Offers daily counseling and individual skill building to support growth
Advocates for the needs of the youth as part of their professional service team
Works on established goals to help the child build life skills
Assists child academically and ensures involvement in the community

Youth served through Therapeutic Foster Care

Youth in foster care ages six and older who struggle behaviorally due to high levels of emotional trauma and/or mental health challenges.
More than 320 children in care receive these vital and important services daily. Many more are eligible, however, due to a lack of available homes, are unable to be placed into a Therapeutic Foster Care program.