Family and Therapeutic Foster Care

The goal of Foster Care services is to provide community based foster homes for children and youth who are unable to remain in their home of origin due to abuse, neglect, dependency, delinquency, family conflict or caregiver substance abuse. NYAP specializes in therapeutic foster care to meet the needs of older youth and adolescents with emotional and behavioral challenges and those with specialized medical needs. 

Services include the provision of safe, supportive, nurturing living arrangements in licensed foster homes.  A primary focus of services is the preservation of and connection to family through visitation between the youth and their family, and strong involvement of the family in the care and treatment of their child. NYAP foster care is unique in promoting foster parent engagement with families of origin, with the goal of foster parents becoming mentors and natural supports for the families of children served.  Foster care services are provided by foster parents who are recruited, trained and certified or licensed by NYAP and by trained and credentialed employees.  Both employees and foster parents receive extensive training in trauma informed care so they will be well equipped to respond to emotional dysregulation and behavioral challenges with compassion and effective strategies.

Children and youth in foster care are engaged in case management services including assessment, service planning, services, and interventions to address emotional, physical, and behavioral challenges in order to promote stabilization and enhance permanency potential.  

While state specific terminology may vary, NYAP operates under two broad categories, or levels of Foster Care:

Family Foster Care (Traditional Level of Care): The family foster care program provides foster homes to children and youth whose needs are typically limited to basic care, nurturing and supervision.   

Specialized/Treatment Foster Care (Therapeutic Level of Care): The treatment foster care program is designed for children and youth who have specialized medical, emotional or behavioral needs that require care or supervision. Treatment foster care is a time limited, individualized service based on youth needs and may be provided as an alternative to residential treatment or institutional care.     

Foster Care services are available 24/7, including after hours and weekends, throughout Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida and Georgia through a variety of state and county contracts.