Child Bridge Family Packet Application & Information
Thank you for your interest in learning more about being a foster or adoptive parent.
As of 2018 there are almost 4000 Montana children in foster care due to the abuse, neglect, or abandonment caused by their parents or other caretakers.
The children who are placed in foster care by the Child Family Services Department (CFSD) range in age from infants to teenagers. They come from many different backgrounds and reflect the cultural diversity of the state. Emotional, behavioral, mental, or physical problems related to the abuse or neglect are common. A sense of grief and loss are common denominators for these children.
However, a variety of training and support options are available, and Child Bridge is happy to review these options with you and provide appropriate introductions to the level and duration of care you would like to undertake.
1. CHILD BRIDGE APPLICANT INFORMATION FORM: This simply lets us get to know you better. Learning about you, your interest (foster care, long term, short term, emergency or adoption) and the age of children helps us guide you, make suggestions and provide introductions to training and supports that might best fit your desire to serve. Please be sure to sign the consent form on the back. This provides us with your approval to advocate for you, your foster children, or assist an agency or supporting child welfare provider on your behalf.
2. FOSTER FAMILY SUPPORT TEAM FORM: The foster care journey can be difficult and we strongly encourage you to pray and consider individuals/families who can surround you in support. This form provides you with a starting point for proactively defining support partners that will be invaluable to you, your family and the children you welcome into your home. We encourage you to assemble your support team, share why you want to foster/adopt and gather their thoughts on the areas they are best suited to support you.
3. INFOGRAPHIC: THE LICENSING AND PLACEMENT PROCESS: There are several different paths you can take in the fostering/adoptive licensing process. Our infographic, along with descriptions on the reverse, will help simplify a rather complex system. We’re happy to answer any questions we can for you in more detail.
As of 2018 there are almost 4000 Montana children in foster care due to the abuse, neglect, or abandonment caused by their parents or other caretakers.
The children who are placed in foster care by the Child Family Services Department (CFSD) range in age from infants to teenagers. They come from many different backgrounds and reflect the cultural diversity of the state. Emotional, behavioral, mental, or physical problems related to the abuse or neglect are common. A sense of grief and loss are common denominators for these children.
However, a variety of training and support options are available, and Child Bridge is happy to review these options with you and provide appropriate introductions to the level and duration of care you would like to undertake.
1. CHILD BRIDGE APPLICANT INFORMATION FORM: This simply lets us get to know you better. Learning about you, your interest (foster care, long term, short term, emergency or adoption) and the age of children helps us guide you, make suggestions and provide introductions to training and supports that might best fit your desire to serve. Please be sure to sign the consent form on the back. This provides us with your approval to advocate for you, your foster children, or assist an agency or supporting child welfare provider on your behalf.
2. FOSTER FAMILY SUPPORT TEAM FORM: The foster care journey can be difficult and we strongly encourage you to pray and consider individuals/families who can surround you in support. This form provides you with a starting point for proactively defining support partners that will be invaluable to you, your family and the children you welcome into your home. We encourage you to assemble your support team, share why you want to foster/adopt and gather their thoughts on the areas they are best suited to support you.
3. INFOGRAPHIC: THE LICENSING AND PLACEMENT PROCESS: There are several different paths you can take in the fostering/adoptive licensing process. Our infographic, along with descriptions on the reverse, will help simplify a rather complex system. We’re happy to answer any questions we can for you in more detail.
At any time during the process, please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can assist you in any way. Thank you again for considering caring for Montana children in need.
Please note that nothing in the packet COMMITS you to foster/adoptive care!
All documents are steps in the process, but not binding in terms of your commitment or ability to care for a child. We believe that interest in fostering/adopting is a process of prayer, education and information.
Child Bridge finds and supports foster and adoptive families for Montana’s children in need. We are a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501 (c)(3) Public Charity. Your donations are tax deductible.
Nonprofit tax id # 27-3382066
Post Office Box 310, Bigfork, MT 59911
(406) 837.2247
www.childbridgemontana.org
All documents are steps in the process, but not binding in terms of your commitment or ability to care for a child. We believe that interest in fostering/adopting is a process of prayer, education and information.
Child Bridge finds and supports foster and adoptive families for Montana’s children in need. We are a nonprofit, tax exempt, 501 (c)(3) Public Charity. Your donations are tax deductible.
Nonprofit tax id # 27-3382066
Post Office Box 310, Bigfork, MT 59911
(406) 837.2247
www.childbridgemontana.org
1A - Applicant Information Form
2 - Foster Family Support Team
FOSTER FAMILY SUPPORT TEAM
By answering the call to enter into the foster care journey, you will make a lasting impact on a child's life. Whether you spend a short time with them or become their permanent family, we thank you for showing these precious children love, consistency, and a caring home. As you begin this amazing journey, we encourage you to spend time in prayer as a family to consider the individuals and other families who would become a Support Team for your family.
The foster care journey is messy, difficult, and painful. Yet it is a wonderful opportunity to provide something these children so desperately long for - a sense of belonging, love, comfort, and safety. One of the greatest things you can do to prepare for this journey is to surround yourself with friends and family who will be there for you, your family, and these children.
By answering the call to enter into the foster care journey, you will make a lasting impact on a child's life. Whether you spend a short time with them or become their permanent family, we thank you for showing these precious children love, consistency, and a caring home. As you begin this amazing journey, we encourage you to spend time in prayer as a family to consider the individuals and other families who would become a Support Team for your family.
The foster care journey is messy, difficult, and painful. Yet it is a wonderful opportunity to provide something these children so desperately long for - a sense of belonging, love, comfort, and safety. One of the greatest things you can do to prepare for this journey is to surround yourself with friends and family who will be there for you, your family, and these children.
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AREAS OF SERVICE
The area where your Support Team may be able to help the most:
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YOUR SUPPORT TEAM
Please spend time thinking and praying about those who can offer strong, healthy natural connections to support your family.
Please spend time thinking and praying about those who can offer strong, healthy natural connections to support your family.
3A - Licensing & Placement Process
Embrace ~ Equip ~ Empower
3B - Licensing & Training Options
Kinship
If you have a biological connection (grandparent, aunt/uncle, sister, brother, cousin, etc.) to a child who has been placed in State custody, you may wish to pursue kinship placement in order to care for the child. Requires 18 hours of training and a home study.
Regular Foster Care
As a regular foster care provider, you are typically a resource family for children who are entering care for the first time, or have been in care for a while. They often do not need a permanent home, as they are in a transitory state due to biological family issues that are unable to keep the child safe. Once these safety concerns are resolved, the goal is to reunite the child with their biological family. A child may remain in your care for days, weeks, months or years. Sometimes, however, these children become available for adoption if reunification isn’t possible and no relatives are able to be a permanent placement for the child. Foster parents are expected to provide for the physical and emotional needs of children placed in their home and provide a safe and stable home environment. Foster parents are expected to work closely with the child's protective services specialist. This type of foster home requires 18 hours of training and completion of the licensing process.
Child-Specific Adoption
If parental rights have been terminated, a child is in Permanent Legal Custody (PLC) of the state and available for adoption. You may identify a child in this situation via a Heart Gallery, Adopt US Kids, Child Bridge, etc. When you have interest in a child such as this, an introduction is made to the Child Protection Specialist who will begin discussions with you to determine whether your family may be a fit for the child’s needs. Based on needs and services required, the worker can guide you to the best path for licensing for the child. The placement process needs to be well thought out and extremely thorough (clear and honest communication about child’s needs, in depth home study discussions and self- reflection, etc.) to ensure the best fit, as a disrupted adoption can be more harmful to a child than multiple foster placements. Even if the child is PLC, all families must foster at least six months prior to adopting. This type of foster home requires at least 18 hours of training and completion of licensing process. An additional 15 hours of Therapeutic Training may be required dependent on if you are being licensed through a Therapeutic Child Placing Agency.
Foster-To-Adopt
You may start out in regular foster care with a child who is in Temporary Legal Custody (TLC) of the State. During your fostering, the child may come into Permanent Legal Custody (PLC) due to the inability of biological care givers to care appropriately for the child. Once parental rights are terminated, these children are available for adoption. CFSD must consider relatives for permanent placement prior to non-relative foster-adopt parents. If you are willing to adopt a child who has been in your home in foster care, it is called a concurrent placement. Requires 18 hours of training and completion of licensing process.
Therapeutic Foster Care
While the State signs off on your license, you are licensed (and trained) by a child placing agency. TFC has clinical oversight involved because the child is eligible for a therapeutic level of service. The type of child that’s placed in TFC is a child that qualifies for a diagnosis that falls under Severely Emotionally Disturbed. These children are broken and hurt, resulting in behavioral and emotional issues that require supports for them and the family who cares for them. Attached to TFC is generally at least a couple of years of therapeutic wrap around services. So after you are licensed through an agency and a child is matched and placed with you, you will have a small team of people working with you and in your home generally at least once a week. Often, these children have been in care a very long time and in multiple placements and struggle to trust the care and control of a parent. In most cases, permanency is the goal for these children. Requires 33 hours of training and completion of the licensing process.
Therapeutic Respite Care
Families caring for Severely Emotionally Disturbed children need a break in order to stay healthy and focused on the relationship! Being a Respite provider offers that much needed support. Respite is generally a short break such as a weekend. For some families having a regular respite provider offers tremendous help. Some Therapeutic Licensing Providers such as Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and Intermountain, require respite providers to complete Therapeutic Foster Care Training. (33 hours)
If you have a biological connection (grandparent, aunt/uncle, sister, brother, cousin, etc.) to a child who has been placed in State custody, you may wish to pursue kinship placement in order to care for the child. Requires 18 hours of training and a home study.
Regular Foster Care
As a regular foster care provider, you are typically a resource family for children who are entering care for the first time, or have been in care for a while. They often do not need a permanent home, as they are in a transitory state due to biological family issues that are unable to keep the child safe. Once these safety concerns are resolved, the goal is to reunite the child with their biological family. A child may remain in your care for days, weeks, months or years. Sometimes, however, these children become available for adoption if reunification isn’t possible and no relatives are able to be a permanent placement for the child. Foster parents are expected to provide for the physical and emotional needs of children placed in their home and provide a safe and stable home environment. Foster parents are expected to work closely with the child's protective services specialist. This type of foster home requires 18 hours of training and completion of the licensing process.
Child-Specific Adoption
If parental rights have been terminated, a child is in Permanent Legal Custody (PLC) of the state and available for adoption. You may identify a child in this situation via a Heart Gallery, Adopt US Kids, Child Bridge, etc. When you have interest in a child such as this, an introduction is made to the Child Protection Specialist who will begin discussions with you to determine whether your family may be a fit for the child’s needs. Based on needs and services required, the worker can guide you to the best path for licensing for the child. The placement process needs to be well thought out and extremely thorough (clear and honest communication about child’s needs, in depth home study discussions and self- reflection, etc.) to ensure the best fit, as a disrupted adoption can be more harmful to a child than multiple foster placements. Even if the child is PLC, all families must foster at least six months prior to adopting. This type of foster home requires at least 18 hours of training and completion of licensing process. An additional 15 hours of Therapeutic Training may be required dependent on if you are being licensed through a Therapeutic Child Placing Agency.
Foster-To-Adopt
You may start out in regular foster care with a child who is in Temporary Legal Custody (TLC) of the State. During your fostering, the child may come into Permanent Legal Custody (PLC) due to the inability of biological care givers to care appropriately for the child. Once parental rights are terminated, these children are available for adoption. CFSD must consider relatives for permanent placement prior to non-relative foster-adopt parents. If you are willing to adopt a child who has been in your home in foster care, it is called a concurrent placement. Requires 18 hours of training and completion of licensing process.
Therapeutic Foster Care
While the State signs off on your license, you are licensed (and trained) by a child placing agency. TFC has clinical oversight involved because the child is eligible for a therapeutic level of service. The type of child that’s placed in TFC is a child that qualifies for a diagnosis that falls under Severely Emotionally Disturbed. These children are broken and hurt, resulting in behavioral and emotional issues that require supports for them and the family who cares for them. Attached to TFC is generally at least a couple of years of therapeutic wrap around services. So after you are licensed through an agency and a child is matched and placed with you, you will have a small team of people working with you and in your home generally at least once a week. Often, these children have been in care a very long time and in multiple placements and struggle to trust the care and control of a parent. In most cases, permanency is the goal for these children. Requires 33 hours of training and completion of the licensing process.
Therapeutic Respite Care
Families caring for Severely Emotionally Disturbed children need a break in order to stay healthy and focused on the relationship! Being a Respite provider offers that much needed support. Respite is generally a short break such as a weekend. For some families having a regular respite provider offers tremendous help. Some Therapeutic Licensing Providers such as Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and Intermountain, require respite providers to complete Therapeutic Foster Care Training. (33 hours)
