New Foster Care Community Program
Over
the last decade, Southmountain Children and Family Services has become known
as an innovator of quality programs and has led the way for new designs in
residential settings, collaborative efforts, and changes in service
provision. So it is only natural that toward the end of 2004,
Executive Director Chris Jernigan sought permission from the North Carolina
Department of Health and Human Services to change the agency’s license from
group homes to therapeutic foster homes, thus becoming the very first
“foster community” in North Carolina. The greatest benefit of providing
foster care in a community setting is the availability of support for the
foster families. Many of the children placed into foster care have a myriad
of problems brought about by physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Often
these children present extreme behavior problems that take foster parents to
the limit of their training and tolerance very quickly. It is at these times
that foster parents need the support of neighbors, supervisors, and friends
who understand their situation and are trained and willing to help.
Additionally, these behaviors are often played out in the community in which
the foster family lives causing neighbors to demand that the children be
moved. Research shows that the number one reason foster parents have a child
removed from their care and/or quit fostering altogether is this lack of
support from their community.
Group care vs. Foster Care
The move to become a foster community is designed to
improve the quality of life for children in care by providing them with a
true home and a real family. Over the last decade, Southmountain has
constructed some of the most family-like group homes in the state. However,
despite all efforts, the homes still have a feeling of group care and lack
two of the most important things a child needs - a feeling of stability and
a sense of permanence. This lack of security is the main difference between
group care and foster family care and can best be summed up in the
difference between employees and foster parents. Because group homes are
staffed by employees who work shifts, either days or hours, the children
always feel unsettled. Even for children who remain in group care for long
periods of time, many never have the feeling that the placement is
permanent. The constant change of child care workers switching shifts (as
well as high employee turnover rates) leaves the children feeling confused,
anxious, and often angry. Foster homes, on the other hand, are more
permanent in nature and offer children that extra measure of security. In
the new foster community at Southmountain, the foster parents will no longer
be paid as employees to care for the children and will not work in shifts.
They will live in the homes (which they rent from Southmountain) with their
foster children as any other foster family in any neighborhood.
Reducing Expenses of Providing Quality Care
Throughout the last several years it has become
increasingly difficult to fund the expenses of providing quality residential
care. The move to foster homes allows some of the burden of employee
salaries and benefits, as well as food and transportation costs to be
reduced. However, the change to foster care will not eliminate the
need for financial donations. The foster parents are still paid a
substantial daily fee by Southmountain to assist in providing for the needs
of each child. Additionally, Southmountain must continue to employ
supervisors to oversee the six homes, clinicians to provide therapeutic
services to the children, recreation and maintenance staff, and other
support services. Expenses will also include continued operation of the
campus gym, learning center, on-campus school, and other facilities for the
children in care, as well as two group homes to provide Mental Health
treatment services for children needing a more intense level of care.
The new foster community of Southmountain makes the support for foster
families readily available. Within the community, everyone’s next-door
neighbor is a foster parent with extensive training and the same
understanding of children in care.
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Southmountain Children and Family Services
7330 Myrtle Drive Nebo,
NC 28761
828-584-1105
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