Foster Care

There is a great need currently for caring foster caregivers in Massachusetts. The Home is actively recruiting foster caregivers for its Intensive Foster Care program.

The Intensive Foster Care (IFC) program is committed to providing loving and stable homes to children currently in the care of the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families (DCF) who are residing in hospitals, residential programs, temporary foster care homes, or with their birth parents who are unable to care for them. These children, aged between birth and 18 years, represent a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds and are faced with challenges that include emotional, behavioral, developmental, and/or medical. Some are teenage moms who need support and guidance with their parenting skills. The primary goal of the program is to prevent institutionalization and to shorten the hospital or residential placement stays of children and teens with special needs.

The Intensive Foster Care Program offers the following services:

• Statewide Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) and professional in-house training
• Flexible training options
• Paid vacation/respite (10 days per year)
• 24-hour clinical staff support services
• Crisis intervention and disruption prevention
• Monthly support group
• Life enrichment seminars
• Family reunification work
• Referral bonus
• Educational advocacy for youth in placement
• Coordination of clinical/medical/recreational referrals

The Home for Little Wanderers’ Intensive Foster Care program is looking for families who are interested in foster parenting children and adolescents of diverse ethnic backgrounds. The program has an excellent reputation among Massachusetts’ child welfare providers for its competent and highly skilled clinical workers, commitment to foster parents and dedication to the children they serve.

If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster caregiver or know someone who is, please contact:
Lina Fox, Recruitment Coordinator
lfox@thehome.org
617-264-5323

The Home supports foster care by gay and lesbian families.