Special Medical Family Foster Care
What is Special Medical Family Foster Care & how does it differ from the Family Foster, Treatment & Kinship Programs?
Special Medical Family Foster Care is out of home placement required for children who are deemed abused/neglected or abandoned and have been removed from their biological parents or other persons legally responsible for the child and require protective placement. Special Medical Family Foster Care is a specialized program that provides care for children in foster care with chronic medical conditions who require enhanced monitoring and support for their medical conditions.
Who is it for & why is it needed?
Special Medical Family Foster Care is needed for children entering the foster care system by way of the Family Court who have chronic medical conditions that require additional monitoring and support.
Foster parents for children in the Special Medical Family Foster Care program are only required to provide medical care that they feel comfortable with and training is provided by our nursing team or outside medical providers. There are a myriad of medical diagnoses that CGS works with such as autism, sickle cell, heart or lung issues, diabetes and more. Most often Special Medical foster parents need to monitor the children’s health and ensure that they attend all their medical appointments.
Who typically makes a good foster parent for a child in Special Medical Family Foster Care?
Individuals who demonstrate and provide a caring, nurturing and loving home for our children is primarily what is needed to be a good foster parent for a child needing special medical foster care. A good foster parent demonstrates understanding and compassion for children who have experienced some trauma in their lives and are here to help them heal and grow in a loving home.
How does Special Medical Family Foster Care fit into the CGS & the NYC ecosystem of care?
Children who require Special Medical Family Foster Care are children who have experienced trauma AND have a chronic medical condition requiring a higher degree of monitoring and support but are simply children who just need love and support from a foster parent until they can be safely returned to their parent’s care. CGS works to support these children and their biological families so that they can eventually reunite with one another. As an agency that strives to provide help, create hope and preserve dignity, CGS provides Special Medical Family Foster Care as a component of our services on behalf of the children and families we serve.
How many children are currently in CGS Special Medical Family Foster Care?
Currently there are 66 children being served by CGS Special Medical Family Foster Care.
Can a child in Special Medical Family Foster Care be adopted?
As with any other child coming into the foster care system, children in Special Medical Family Foster Care may become available for adoption if their biological parents or persons legally responsible for the child are unable or unwilling to provide permanency for the child in care. Under those circumstances, a permanency plan is developed in collaboration with the foster care agency and Family Court System to determine the most appropriate legal permanency option for the child. In some instances, adoption by the foster parent is determined to be the appropriate plan for the child.
What kind of training & support do foster parents receive for a child in Special Medical Family Foster Care?
Special Medical foster parents are provided an initial 30 hour pre-certification training called Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting Group Preparation and Selection Process (MAPP GPS) which provides new foster parents with training on the trauma children face when removed from their families and managing and supporting children placed in the foster care system. Additionally, Special Medical foster parents are required to take a 7 hour Special Medical training course that consists of Universal Precautions, Safe Sleep, CPR/First Aid, and HIV/AIDS. Special Medical Foster parents are also trained on the specific medical condition of the child placed in their care by the child’s medical provider and/or the assigned CGS nurse care manager.
Children in Special Medical Foster care are provided a case planner as well as a nurse care manager who make monthly home visits. CGS also offers foster parent support groups as well as the 24-hour emergency hotline. (such as: Respite Services & Foster Parent Support Aide)
Where do the children in need of Special Medical Family Foster Care come from ?
Children in need of Special Medical Foster Care are referred to Catholic Guardian Services by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) Visit the ACS website here
