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TRADITIONAL
FOSTER CARE
ADOPTION
SERVICES
TRADITIONAL
FOSTER CARE
 Traditional
Foster Care is a program where specially trained foster parents work
with the Florida United Methodist Children's Home staff to provide a
nurturing family oriented environment. The foster parents, with the
guidance and support of the Children's Home staff, assist the children
on developing basic life skills and values necessary to become contributing,
productive adults.
Most children in
foster care have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused and/or
neglected. They act out their feelings in unacceptable, often destructive
ways. Foster care offers a continuum of support services such as, therapy,
behavioral management, referrals and foster parent support.
Traditional
Foster Parents Are:
- Willing to commit
to redirecting the life of a troubled child.
- Willing to learn
new parenting skills.
- Able to be consistent
and realistic with behavior.
- Determined to
see things through to the end, no matter how difficult situations may
be.
Traditional
Foster Parents Must Be Willing To:
- Open your home
and heart to a child in need in your community.
- Take part in
extensive pre-service and in-service training.
- Work with and
share information with the Florida United Methodist Children's Home,
Community Based Care and other service providers.
- Complete the
licensing process including background screenings, in-home interviews
and Heath Department inspections of your home.
- Demonstrate financial
stability. Foster parents are paid a tax-exempt board rate to cover
the foster child's expenses.
Florida United
Methodist Children's Home Connection . . .
The Florida United
Methodist Children's Home understands and appreciates the difficult
tasks that foster parents are asked to accomplish and wants to assure
you that at all times you will be treated with dignity and respect by
the foster care staff and all staff at the Children's Home.
The Children's
Home has a lovely campus which is available to you as a foster family.
Many services and programs are provided on campus and you are invited
to participate in these programs.
Recreation -
The facilities include a full gym and swimming pool.
In-Service Training
- We have an ongoing calendar of events, speakers and activities
to meet your needs.
Educational
Support - After school tutoring is offered by licensed school teachers
in our education center.
Respite Care
- Children's Home staff will be available to offer respite care
for your family.
ADOPTION
SERVICES
 The
Florida United Methodist Children's Home has been providing services
to children and families since 1908. More recently, the Home has become
an approved provider through Community Based Care and the Florida Department
of Children and Families. We are now providing adoption services, in
addition to foster care services, to families in Volusia and Flagler
Counties.
Who Can Adopt?
Single parents
and married couples who are financially secure and are over 21 years
of age are eligible to adopt. We are looking for quality people who
can make a life long commitment to a child and meet the child's needs
until he or she becomes an adult.
What Children
are Available for Adoption?
Any child in foster
care whose birth parent's rights have been terminated by the court is
available for adoption. Most of the children available for adoption
have special needs, i.e., they are children who are older, are part
of a sibling group, have an emotional or physical handicap, or are of
a race considered hard to place.
How Do I Start?
Before adopting
a child, individuals/couples need to enroll in a ten-week training program
required of all potential adoptive and foster parents. This program,
called Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting (MAPP) is designed
to give you the information you will need in order to decide if adoption
is the right choice for you. MAPP classes are held one evening a week
and will give you the opportunity to network with other potential adoptive
parents, learn more about the children who are available for adoption
and their needs, plus help identify your strengths in meeting those
needs. Upon completion of the MAPP class, an adoption counselor will
visit your home to complete your home study.
What Will It
Cost?
The training and
home study completion is provided by the Florida United Methodist Children's
Home at no cost to you. The child may be eligible for a monthly maintenance
payment to support the child, and Medicaid to assist in covering the
costs of any medical, physical or emotional conditions that existed
before the adoption. In addition, all children adopted through the state
are eligible to receive higher education tuition at Florida colleges
and universities.
Whom Should
I Contact?
Our experienced
and knowledgeable staff members are available to assist you anytime!
If you have questions, feel free to contact us. There's no obligation
and we would love to sit down with you and discuss all the ways you
can help Florida's neediest and most fragile population - its children.
For
Information Contact:
Shari
Schneider, MSW
Director of Foster Care and Adoption Services
Florida United
Methodist Children's Home
51 Main Street
Enterprise, FL 32725
Phone: (386) 668-5223
Fax: (386) 668-6381
E-Mail: shari.schneider@fumch.org
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