Why Respite Care Became A Foster Placement Agency.
Since 1997, the Davidson Respite House Emergency Shelter has been the only shelter in Texas to provide temporary care for children with developmental disabilities and complex medical diagnoses who have been taken into the state’s protective custody. Their stays are anywhere from a few days to a few months. When they leave, they are placed in the foster care system.
Sometimes the foster care placements have worked well. The child has found a nurturing home – one he or she will be part of for years. Other times, the placements have not worked. The children have to be moved again. Too often, they are relocated several times. This can have a disastrous impact on the child’s self-esteem and well-being. The progress made up to that point can be greatly diminished or even totally negated. The child with special needs is not able to reach his or her full potential.
This is why Respite Care sought and received licensing as a foster placement agency for children with special and habilitative needs.The knowledge gained during their temporary stays is invaluable in being able to pair these children with foster parents who best suit them. Our goal is to find a home where their uniqueness will be cherished and where they will be encouraged to grow.
What Are Special, Habilitative Needs?
These needs include, but are not limited to developmental delays, Down Syndrome, seizure disorders, brain trauma, mental retardation, Cerebral Palsy, physical challenges, and Autism.
The adaptive skills of children with special needs are impaired; the guidance and nurturing they require is significant. That is why the staff of Respite Care is committed to providing the training, support, and development to families willing to open their homes and hearts.
Each child placed by Respite Care is provided with case management, therapy, psychological and psychiatric evaluations, and other support services.
Do You Have What It Takes
To Be A Foster Parent To A Child With Special Needs? A nurturing spirit is the first and most important requirement.
Beyond that the following criteria must be in place:
23 years of age or older
Mature and responsible
High school diploma or GED
Stable income established and separate from foster reimbursement for the child
Access to safe, insured, reliable transportation
Bedroom space of at least 80 square feet for child
In good physical, emotional, and mental health
Without a major life event in prior year (e.g., family death, divorce)
If married or in a relationship, must have been in same one for at least two years
Free of any substance abuse, public indecency, indictments, convictions of a felony or misdemeanor involving an offense against a person or family
Participation in training process, including 10-session PRIDE course
How Do I Become a Foster Parent?
The process to become a foster parent is not easy, but it is logical and necessary considering the responsibility involved:
Complete and turn in the needed forms; Respite Care will provide the forms and information on other documentation required.
Participate in a PRIDE class. These 10 sessions help prepare prospective foster parents for the realities of fostering a child with special needs.
Complete training in CPR/First Aid and eight hours of medical training.
Complete training in SAMA, to learn behavior intervention and management techniques.
Receive your license to provide foster care to children with special needs
If you would like to speak with a representative of Respite Care to discuss the possibility of
becoming a foster parent to a child with special needs, please do not hesitate to call us at (210) 737-1212.
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