Foster Care Program
Children Served
Good Hearts provides various childcare and treatment services in foster home settings for children and young adults.
Inclusionary Criteria
Children who are eligible for services are those that meet two or more of the following:
- male or female;
- 0 through 22 years of age;
- current Emotional Disorder, such as mood disorders, psychotic disorders, or dissociative disorders, and demonstrates three or more of the following:
- a Global Assessment Functioning of 50 or below;
- a current DSM diagnosis;
- major self-injurious actions, including recent suicide attempts;
- difficulties that present a significant risk of harm to self or others, including frequent or unpredictable physical aggression; and/or
- a primary diagnosis of substance abuse or dependency and severe impairment because of the substance abuse.
- current Pervasive Developmental Disorder, which is a category of disorders (e.g. Autistic Disorder or Rett’s Disorder) characterized by prominent, severe deficits and pervasive impairment in one or more of the following areas of development:
- conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills to include daily living and self care;
- communication, cognition, or expressions of affect;
- self-care activities or participation in social activities;
- responding appropriately to an emergency; and/or
- multiple physical disabilities including sensory impairments; and/or
- current diagnosis of Mental Retardation, including an intellectual functioning of 70 or below and characterized by prominent, significant deficits and pervasive impairment in one or more of the following areas:
- conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills to include daily living and self care;
- communication, cognition, or expressions of affect;
- self-care activities or participation in social activities;
- responding appropriately to an emergency; and/or
- multiple physical disabilities, including sensory impairments.
Exclusionary Criteria
Good Hearts will consider children ineligible for services if the child:
- acts on predatory sexual tendencies;
- has an IQ < 40
- is currently chemical dependent;
- is currently psychotic;
- has attempted suicide within the last six weeks;
- has expressed and acted on homicidal tendencies within the last six weeks; and/or
- has set fires within the last year.
However, Good Hearts will review all referrals and make exceptions as necessary after reviewing all available information.
Services Offered
Good Hearts offers respite, child care, and treatment foster care services. Examples of such services include, but are not limited to the following:
- recruiting, screening, training, supervising and supporting foster families to help meet the child’s physical, social, emotional and educational needs;
- family Living including the participation in social cultural and recreational activities of the foster parents’ community;
- psychological and diagnostic appraisal to determine basic abilities and appropriate treatment goals;
- planning, with the child and family, of goals and the services needed to achieve those goals;
- individual therapy services with professional behavioral health providers;
- support and education regarding sexual development, pregnancy prevention and responsible parenthood, prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases;
- public school education in local foster home school districts;
- private tutoring and advocacy for special educational programs as needed and available within the community;
- ethnic, cultural, and religious activities that promote cultural identity;
- participation in age-appropriate transitional living activities; and
- medical, dental, vision, and hearing services.