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Foster Care Team
Hephzibah Children's Asociation
Services Offered
Foster Parent Support • Respite • Foster Care Training • Support Groups
Description
Hephzibah’s Foster Care Team provides an array of foster care support and stabilization services. Staff therapists provide individual and family counseling in the home and in agency offices, therapeutic mentoring and educational support for the foster child and an emergency on-call service that will give parents access to a social worker 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The children have significant behavioral and emotional challenges, so specialized care is necessary.
Foster Care Support Services include:
- The Weekender Program – A program designed to help children transition from Hephzibah's Group Home to life in a Hephzibah licensed foster family.
- Movin' On – A game which helps provide a safe, therapeutic environment for children to discuss fears, concerns and expectations about foster care.
- In-home consultation and support for families.
- Respite services.
- Training sessions on foster parenting and child management techniques.
- Support group meetings for foster parents.
- Individual foster parent consultations for foster parents grappling with the challenges of parenting children who have been traumatized by neglect or abuse.
- Parenting groups for biological family members, facilitated by a foster care specialist.
Location
Service Options
Languages Spoken
- English
Eligibility
There is no cost involved. Hephzibah offers all foster parent training, licensing and support free of charge. If you adopt a foster child, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) will cover your adoption costs. Supplemental income is provided to help with the costs of caring for a child.
- Must be 21 years old or older to foster.
- Must live within a 25 mile radius of the Oak Park office (includes Chicago and various suburbs).
- Must meet minimum income requirements.
- This service is free
Payment
- Children accepted
- Teens accepted
Population
How to Apply
Please contact Hephzibah's Family Based Services office at 708-649-7140. A family assessment specialist will contact you to schedule a home visit, discuss your motivation for fostering and tell you about the specific requirements of the Program. If you are good match and you decide to proceed, subsequent steps include a home study, a background check and foster parent training sessions.