Do you want to make a difference in the life of a young person? Are you willing to temporarily share your home with a child or teenager who is in need of a strong, secure family?
Safe, structured home environments are needed for emotionally and behaviorally challenged youth who would otherwise be placed in a non-family setting. A treatment home provides an opportunity for a youth who would generally be placed in an institution to flourish within a safe, secure home/family setting. Treatment families provide the closest possible approximation of a normal family environment that can be achieved in an out-of-home placement.
- What are some of the benefits of being a professional parent?
- Helping keep children safe
- Providing a better life for them
- Sharing and giving part of yourself
- Helping a child reach her full potential
- Knowing that you can make a difference
- Using your skills to help young people
- Why should YOU become a professional parent (treatment parent/treatment home provider)?
- By joining a team of qualified providers, you have the opportunity to change a child's life forever;
- Crossroads provides many opportunities for learning new skills through ongoing training along with day-to-day guidance and 24-hour support;
- Crossroads staff visit with you weekly in provider in-home support for both you and the youth;
- We routinely recognize and reward the contributions of our professional parents;
- You can work as part of a team. Treatment parents are the most important members of a team dedicated to the safety and well-being of the youth. Being a treatment parent means working with social workers, the court, teachers, doctors, therapists, and possibly even the child's birth family.
- $75 per night bi-weekly reimbursement is provided for services rendered.
- What exactly is a Treatment Home?
Treatment homes, also known as therapeutic foster care, meet the needs of children and youth who have experienced traumatic or abusive situations and have emotional/behavioral issues as a result by providing them with treatment services within a normal family environment (we call this the "least restrictive" care setting). Children and youth placed in treatment homes present with a variety of special needs:
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Behavioral
- Social
- Educational
- Juvenile Delinquency
- Sexual Dysfunction
- Medical
- Substance Abuse Issues.
- What exactly do treatment parents do?
The role of the treatment parent is central to this type of therapeutic care. They are the primary source of therapeutic services to the child in their care. Treatment parents are, in turn, provided with significant support from Crossroads staff including pre-service and ongoing training, 24/7 crisis intervention services, respite, and weekly if not daily case manager support. Every child deserves that opportunity and more.
- So, what is it really like?
Please see our list of Frequently Asked Questions for more information.
- Download an application form.
Please send the completed application to Community Care for Kids at 610 Beverly-Rancocas Road, Willingboro, NJ 08046.
You can make a difference and you can start the process today! Download and print the application here.
Fully licensed caregivers, currently in good standing with Crossroads, are eligible to earn a bonus for referring a qualified professional parent to Crossroads Programs. Call us at 609-880-0210 x 35 for more information.
