Foster Care Through Catholic Social Services
Thousands of children need loving homes and safe environments. Catholic Social Services provides these children with caring foster parents. Learn more about foster care through Catholic Social Services.
Catholic Social Services (CSS) provides foster and kinship care services to children between birth and 21 years of age who are in need of a temporary substitute care, due to a crisis or chronic condition. The goal of the program is to achieve permanency for children in the briefest amount of time, which allows for safety, wellbeing and preventing children from a return to care.
All resource family care service is delivered with a view toward the earliest possible return of the child to the birth family. While the child is in substitute care, the Community Umbrella Agency (CUA) involves the birth family in all levels of care and planning.
All resource families are encouraged to establish a mentoring relationship with the child’s family. This relationship will help to support the child and family’s bond while the child is placed in out-of-home care.
CSS staff support the permanency planning process by providing training and education to the resource parent so that they have the requisite skills to assist the child through the reunification process or if reunification is not possible, help the child transition as they move toward another permanency. This permanency may include adoption by the resource family.
The requirements to become a foster parent include:
- Must be at least 21 years old.
- Must have a safe, stable residence with appropriate furnishings.
- Must be healthy enough to provide care for children.
- Must be able to pass criminal, child abuse and FBI background checks.
- Must be able to complete the home study process.
- Must be able to provide support to children and their families.
Catholic Social Services, in partnership with the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services, provides foster care services to unaccompanied children. Catholic Social Services is recruiting foster care parents to welcome children ages 5 to 17, primarily from Mexico and Central America, into their homes. These children have come here alone and many have experienced significant trauma. What they need are caring individuals or families willing to provide a supportive foster care home environment for 2 weeks to up to 3 months while the children attend daily programming located in Northeast Philadelphia. Ability to speak some Spanish would be helpful but is not required.
While the children are in our care, they will receive case management, educational and therapeutic services on site at the program. Children are provided with medical coverage, legal services and foster parents receive a monthly stipend.
Our case management staff also works with potential sponsors in this country (family members or friends) who go through a process similar to the foster parent certification. If they and their home meet all the criteria, the child will be discharged to their care.
The requirements to become a foster parent are the same as above. If you would like more information, please complete the form above or email us at tfcinfo@chs-adphila.org
