6 Qualities of Great Treatment Foster Parents

Being a foster parent involves much responsibility. Beyond the required licensing process, it takes individuals willing to love, care for, and open their homes to foster children. At RISE Services, Inc. Idaho, we are blessed with amazing foster care parents who work with the children and families under our care. Maybe you didn’t realize that we also offer treatment foster care services and may be wondering what the difference is between the two. Let’s look at what treatment foster care is and what makes an excellent treatment foster parent.

The Difference Between Foster Care & Treatment Foster Care

Foster care is temporary placement in a loving and stable home environment for children who cannot live in their homes. It offers a safe space for children to live while their biological parents work to create a secure environment for their family. 

Treatment foster care is similar to foster care but is for children with behavioral, emotional, or medical needs that traditional foster care cannot support. Children and adolescents receiving treatment foster care, also known as therapeutic foster care, require more specialized support from their foster parents. Although all RISE Services, Inc. foster parents receive training, licensing, and ongoing support, treatment foster care parents receive training specific to the unique needs of children or teens living with these unique needs. 

Great Treatment Foster Parents Possess These 6 Qualities

Treatment foster parents make an extraordinary difference in the lives of foster children. Here are six great qualities of treatment foster care parents who work with RISE Services, Inc.

• Committed: Being a treatment foster parent requires specialized training and support for children with high needs while licensed throughout each placement.
• Teachable: Treatment foster parents care for adolescents who have experienced unbelievable trauma. They are willing to learn all they can so they are prepared to care for their foster children and can help them heal and develop healthily.
• Resourceful: We provide trauma-informed and strengths-based training for all of our treatment foster parents, but they also find and use resources, supports, and services that can benefit the children under their care.
• Resilient: Many high-needs children have experienced events that cause them to struggle in any home setting. A resilient treatment foster parent knows this but chooses to remain consistent and flexible when facing expected difficulties.
• Creative: Treatment foster parents find creative ways to help adolescents adjust to new and unfamiliar family settings. Many foster children are not used to traditional family schedules such as bedtimes and curfews or are uncomfortable with healthy affection like hugs or high-fives.
• Compassionate: Being compassionate and loving to children with strong emotions and high needs makes our treatment foster parents phenomenal.

Healthy & Stable Treatment Foster Care

RISE Services, Inc. Idaho provides treatment foster care and other family services, such as post-permanency services and independent living skills workshops throughout Idaho. Contact us today to learn more about these services or to talk to someone about becoming one of our great treatment foster care parents.

Source: Bailey, Caroline. “What is Therapeutic Foster Care? Six Things You Should Know.” Web article. Adoption.com. The Gladney Center for Adoption, 10 Jun. 2016. Web. 30 Jun. 2023.