Guidestone Ohio’s Foster Care Program

Don’t go it alone! Our Foster Care program offers the support you need – from experienced foster parents to our many types of services and support staff. Since 1985, our agency has been successfully finding families for children who need a safe, loving home. We pride ourselves on the support we provide our foster families. At Guidestone Ohio, you won’t have to go it alone!

We offer:

  • Experienced foster parent mentors to guide you through the ups and downs.
  • A complete set of support services including counseling, psychiatric services, adoption mental health services and nursing support, where applicable.
  • On-going training to help make you a more successful foster parent.
  • Paid monthly respite for all foster children.
  • Bonding activities for the entire family.
  • Recognition for your selfless work, including an annual recognition dinner and rewards through our foster bucks program.
  • Timely and consistent communication, including 24-hour support, online access to paperwork and a monthly foster care newsletter.

 

Our Foster Care programs include:
The Treatment Foster Care program serves children and teens, ages birth to 18, who have emotional and behavioral difficulties. Typically, these children have had multiple placements and are at risk for displaying aggression, lack of commitment, suicidal tendencies and/or having mental health issues. This type of foster care provides these children with a high-level of supervision, mental health care and nurturing support.

 

Many children come to us in sibling groups of three or more; all at different emotional levels. Separating siblings in foster care adds to their emotional burden. It is our goal to keep these sibling groups together. We also specialize in finding foster families for teens. Some of these teens need additional support with their pregnancies or babies.

 

The Medically Fragile Foster Care program serves children, ages birth to 18. They may have been born with a disorder, illness, or, due to abuse or neglect, have been left in unstable condition. These children are now in need of life sustaining medications, treatments, equipment, access to multiple appointments and assistance with completing their daily living activities. We have seen our medically fragile children> experience success in overcoming their conditions due to the help of their foster families.

 

The Respite program provides a foster child a  place to stay overnight for one or more nights at a home outside of their foster home. A Respite parent is a licensed foster parent, but has the important responsibility of welcoming a child into their home for a short period of time and making them feel comfortable, nurtured and cared for. If you are unsure about becoming a full-time foster parent, respite is a good introduction to foster parenting.

 

Foster Care Information Meeting
At this meeting, agency staff will explain the process, support provided by the agency and general information about the types of children who come into care. The meeting is FREE to the entire community. Click here to find out when and where our next meeting is.