Treatment Foster Care
Treatment Foster Care (TFC) is foster care with structured therapeutic support. Children placed in treatment foster care need additional support, because of the trauma they have experienced, along with possible emotional or physical challenges.
Treatment foster parents work with a team to create a home environment that is healthy and supportive, as well as intensely structured, in ways that benefit children with special needs, such as the following groups:
- Teenagers
- Sibling groups
- Youth transitioning from more restrictive treatment environments
- Developmentally delayed or medically fragile youth
- Youth who have experienced adoption disruptions and those needing permanent care arrangements
- Pregnant youth
Whether it is reconnecting separated birth families, creating a new family through kinship care, or introducing a child in need to his or her new adoptive family, UMFS can help.
Reunification services focus on returning children to their families. Services are provided to help set up a strong support system for all participants during the transition period and for up to six months of follow-up care. Children may be reunified with birth parents, next of kin, or extended family members.
If the plan for a child is adoption, UMFS foster families may choose to adopt or help the child transition to an adoptive family. Post-adoption services are available to foster families who adopt their foster children.
All UMFS regional centers offer training for persons interested in becoming foster and adoptive parents.
Fredericksburg: Training is offered several times a year. Participants must register in advance. To register, contact Terry Martin, 540-898-1773, ext. 13, or tmartin@umfs.org.
Northern Virginia: A spring training is available for April 6-May 11. Two summer training options are available: June 1-July 27 or June 5-July 6. Participants must attend an orientation session prior to training. To register, contact Adrienne Tucker, 703-941-9008, ext.308, or atucker@umfs.org.
Richmond: Training begins March 30 and continues through May 25. Participants must register in advance. To register, contact Erica Mann at 804-254-9695 or emann@umfs.org. (Future training sessions: June 15-August 10 and September 7-November 11.)
South Central: A morning training is available beginning March 8; call for details. Training will also be held on Tuesday evenings, 6-9 p.m., from March 30 through June 1. Participants must register in advance. To register, contact Melinda Elliott at 434-757-1065 or melliott@umfs.org. (Future training session: August 31-November 2.)
Tidewater: Training begins March 29 and continues through April 26. To register, contact Sheryll Bleil, 757-490-9791 or sbleil@umfs.org. (Future training sessions: May 31-June 28 and September 13-October 11.)
Orientations for prospective foster parents are hosted by each regional center on a monthly basis. To learn more, please contact the regional center in your area for specific dates and times.
Project LIFE is a partnership with Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) and UMFS. The goal of the project is to coordinate and enhance the provision of independent living services to foster care youth who are about to transition out of foster care.
