Our foster care services help families heal in an environment that is peaceful and inviting. Each year we oversee more than 500 children in temporary foster homes, with a goal to reunite them with their families whenever possible. We are dedicated to giving birth parents the help and support they need to reclaim a permanent role in their children’s lives.

While family reunification is top priority, we know there are circumstances when adoption is in the child’s best interest. About thirty percent of our children are adopted, usually by family members or foster parents.

Key features of Forestdale’s foster care services include:

Education | We have seen how positive educational experiences can steer troubled children towards the path of hope and personal growth. Our educational specialists track each child’s progress in school, working with birth and foster parents to ensure equitable treatment and access to the best teachers and educational resources. Private tutoring is available on the Forestdale campus or in the home.

We also prepare our youth in foster care for higher education. Each year Forestdale staff members organize a college fair on the agency’s campus for teens in our Foster Care program. We also hold overnight college trips year-round, in order to bring kids out of their neighborhoods and open their eyes to what a university experience can be. We take them to campuses upstate and in other parts of the country, places they would not otherwise have a chance to visit. For many of these young people, the college trip is a life-altering experience that helps them set their sights on an otherwise daunting goal.

Mental Health | Many children in foster care have suffered trauma as a result of deep poverty, domestic violence and physical and emotional abuse. Studies show that the incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder among foster children is five times that of the general population. Forestdale connects children to holistic medical and therapeutic interventions and works with birth and foster families to help them understand mental health issues. We also provide special training for foster parents to care for children with fragile medical conditions, such as cerebral palsy or HIV. Forestdale draws on a network of community-based, culturally competent medical providers to provide a range of medical and dental services to children in our care.

Youth Development | Our Youth Development programs help young people ages 14 to 21 develop the personal resilience and social resources they need to thrive outside foster care. Our goal is to nurture teens’ strengths at this pivotal time. Forestdale youth workers hold weekly workshops on everything from home and money management to career development to healthy relationships. Teens also take part in an array of extracurricular activities, from studio arts to Afro-Cuban dance, which encourage development and self-expression.

Birth Parent Advocates | Forestdale’s two Birth Parent Advocates (BPA) serve as a bridge between birth parents, foster parents and Forestdale. The primary role of the Birth Parent Advocate (BPA) is to facilitate productive, healing interactions between birth parents, caseworkers, and foster parents. She also supports caseworkers in helping birth parents successfully navigate the housing and public assistance bureaucracies.

The BPA, who is often the first representative to meet with parents after their children have been placed in care, helps families understand their rights and responsibilities. Birth parents may see their BPA as an ally in an often confusing system. BPAs accompany families to court, school, the public assistance office, and any other place where birth parents may need logistical or moral support. They facilitate weekly support groups for birth parents and model positive interactions with children. Of particular importance is the BPA’s role in facilitating visitations between birth and foster parents. Because of her experience on both sides of the foster care system, the BPA is uniquely qualified to smooth tensions and help birth and foster parents collaborate to support the children in their care.