OHIO
New foster care system intended to help troubled youths within Summit County
The Village Network, a nonprofit agency which offers foster care and treatment for children, will soon implement the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care program for a two-year test period. The program is for troubled children who need more one-on-one attention.
The MTFC program – which is hoped to be up and running by January – is "the new next level" of foster care, according to Gary Byron of the Village Network. It was developed by the TFC Consultants company in Oregon. Summit County Judge Linda Teodosio suggested the Village Network explore the possibility of using the program.
In MTFC, an adolescent child is placed in a foster home with no other foster children. "One child per household is more therapeutic," Bryon said. A clinical team is put in place, according to Bryon. The child will have an individual therapist, a family therapist, and a skills coach working with them through the six- to nine-month program. "[The clinical team] wraps around the youth," said Byron, explaining the individual therapist will work with the child while the family therapist will work with the child and biological parents together in group sessions.
One of the program's main goals is to keep the children and services in Summit County, since "kids do better in recovery closer to home, when they stay in a familiar location," said Bryon. The skills coach will accompany the child to various places in the community and help them build confidence and social skills, said Byron. The end result of the program, like most foster care programs, is to reunite the child with their families.
The Village Network is looking for foster parents who would be available to the child, able to become a professional caregiver, and who will "buy into the system," Bryon said.
"We look for parents who enjoy sharing their hobbies, vocations, sports interests and everyday life experiences," said Dave Earley, assistant director of The Village Network.
Bryon said after a person calls to enroll they're sent packets of information, meet with the Village Network, undergo background checks and training. Bryon estimated that it takes 90 to 120 days from the first call to be able to foster a child.
Ten children are being considered for the program, and The Village Network is hoping to have five foster families.
A board – made up of Kevin Floyd of the Summit County Juvenile Court, Maureen Flynn of Summit County Children Services and Jo Anne Arndt of the Summit County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services – will determine which youngsters will be part of the program for the test period. Byron will match each child up with a foster family.
"This is going to be very beneficial for the children," said Byron.
Jeff Wheeler
15 November 2009
