Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) Program

Our Program

Canyon Acres recruits, trains, certifies and supports foster parents who welcome into their homes children of all ages who are in need of a nurturing, therapeutic home.  These homes, located throughout Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles and San Diego Counties, are an important way the community truly cares for its most needy children.

Abandoned, neglected or abused children need foster homes as temporary havens until the time comes when they can return home or move into the adoption process. Sometimes foster children are reunited with their birth parents if situations have improved, or they may be united with other extended family members, and sometimes the children are adopted by their foster family.

At Canyon Acres, foster parents are part of a team that is trained and fully supported by our staff.  There is a close relationship between our foster parents and staff that creates a nurturing and therapeutic environment for the child.

Canyon Acres has been providing homes and services to children and foster families since 1980.  Since then, we have placed hundreds of children into safe, loving and stable homes. 

Our ITFC Program provides homes for children with either severe behavioral issues or are emotionally disturbed.  These children may have a history of behaviors such as lying, stealing, verbal or physical aggression, attempts at self-mutilation or have been extremely defiant.  The child that would qualify for this type of placement may either be in a group home and is showing such improvement that he or she is being considered for a less restrictive environment or the child is currently in a regular foster home, is acting out and at risk for being placed into a group home.  The goal of our program is to provide additional support and services in order to stabilize the child in your home and eventually move him/her down to less intensive levels of care. 

ITFC families will receive additional in-home support services and an increased monthly payment to help offset some of the additional demands on your time and costs.  Families are also limited to having one foster child in the home at a time in order to provide the child with more one-on-one care.

Our Services

Canyon Acres believes that it takes a community to raise a child.  We provide a variety of services to our families and the children in our care.  These include:

• Homestudy: The homestudy is a family assessment completed using information you provide to us via questionnaires and interviews.  A homestudy must be completed prior to the placement of children in your home.
• Social Worker Support: Canyon Acres Social Workers provide support, resources, information, guidance, advocacy, regular home visits and training.
• Pre-Certification Training: Canyon Acres provides 30 hours of training to all of our foster parents.  Training topics include protecting and nurturing children, meeting children's developmental needs, and addressing developmental delays, supporting relationships between children and their families, working as a member of a professional team, life-long adoption issues, positive discipline, rights and responsibilities, etc. For families wishing to participate in the Intensive Treatment Foster Care Program,they will be given an additional 10 hours of pre-certification training specifically on precautions, common behavioral issues, behavior de-escalation techniques and an overview of psychotropic medications.  Parents with prior experience working with emotionally disturbed children or children with serious behavioral problems may have the additional pre-certification training requirements waived.
• Post-Certification Training Opportunities: Canyon Acres provides a variety of training opportunities for families throughout the year.  Each parent must attend 15 hours of post-certification training each year.  For parents in the Intensive Treatment Foster Care program, you must attend 32 hours of post-certification training in the first twelve months and 15 hours every year thereafter.
• Matching & Placement Services: We actively search local and statewide county agencies for foster children needing forever homes.  Our agency also works with five Southern California county agencies to place children who need temporary homes until they are able to return to their birth parents or are placed with relatives or an adoptive home.
• Financial Assistance:  Every child placed in your home receives a special monthly care payment.  These funds are to assist you in covering some of the costs related to the care of the child such as food, clothing, toys, activities, additional mileage, gas, etc.
• Parent Support Groups (with childcare): Several times each year, Canyon Acres provides our families with opportunities to come together and share their ideas and experiences.
• Individualized Child Assessments & Case Planning: Each child will receive an individualized strength based assessment of his/her needs. You will be an important part of the child's treatment team.
• Social/Family Activities: Several times a year, Canyon Acres plans and coordinates various family activities; these may include ball games, amusement park tickets, picnics and parties.
• 24/7 Emergency On-Call Social Worker: We understand emergencies don't always happen during business hours.  Canyon Acres has a 24/7 emergency pager should you need to speak with someone after hours.
• Visitation Monitoring: The majority of the children placed through our agency have some type of visitation, either with parents, siblings or other relatives.  At times the visits must be monitored and the agency may decide, depending upon the circumstances, it is in the best interest of the child for a Canyon Acres Staff Member to monitor the visit.
• Transportation Assistance: Canyon Acres does provide our families with monthly payments which should be used for additional food and care of the child.  We do expect that our families will be able to transport the child to all  necessary visits and appointments.  We also understand that this may not always be possible and the agency is able, on a case-by-case basis, to assist with transportation.

Under the Intensive Treatment Foster Care (ITFC) Program, additional services are provided to stabilize the child in your home and gradually step the child down to even less intensive levels of care.

• In-Home Support Counselor: You and the child in your care will have an In-Home Support Counselor available to provide trainings, assistance in making arrangements for and coordination of services with local education agencies and will work with and support the child in reaching his/her case plan goals.
• Respite (short-term child care): Short-term care may be provided by the In-Home Support Counselor if assessed as being a necessary component to the case plan.
• Psychiatrist: Canyon Acres has a Psychiatrist on staff that is available for psychiatric emergencies.

Becoming a Foster Parent

Our foster / adoptive parents have varied backgrounds.  Canyon Acres welcomes anyone with a passion for children, a kind heart and the belief that every child deserves a safe loving home.  

It is extremely important to remember while it is your job as a foster parent to care and love the children in your home, it is temporary.  We need families who are prepared to support the child’s individual case plan whether it be working towards reunification with a relative or preparing the child to be placed in an adoptive home. 

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Canyon Acres foster / adoptive parent.  We would like share the steps you will need to take during the certification process. When reviewing the process please do not hesitate to call with any questions, we are here to help you with the process.

Certification Process

Step #1: Review and return the Canyon Acres Foster Care and Adoption Inquiry.

Step #2: Attend Canyon Acres Orientation.

Step #3: Begin the Canyon Acres Application Process.

Step #4: Initial Home Study Interview is conducted.

Step #5: References are contacted and verified.

Step #6: Complete remainder of the Canyon Acres Application.

Step #7: Live Scan fingerprinting, TB Test, and Physical Exam.

Step #8: Collect copies of the following documents:

-  Home Owner or Renters Insurance

-  Auto Insurance

-  Auto Registration

-  Drivers License

-  DMV Printout

-  Home Floor Plan

-  Pet Licensees and Vaccinations

-  Marriage Certificate/Divorce Decrees

-  Birth Certificate or Social Security Card

Step #9: Complete Pre-Certification Training (40 hours)

Step #10: Individual Interviews

Step #11: Complete Adult, Child and Infant CPR, First Aid and Water Safety

Step #12: Family Interview, Home Study, and Home Inspection

Step #13: Canyon Acres Agency Certification Documents Signed  

Frequently Asked Questions

How does a child come to Canyon Acres?

These children have been removed from their birth family because of abuse and/or neglect issues and require placement outside of their home. Each county social services agency strives to place these children first with relatives or non-related extended family members. If there are no suitable caregivers the county will look to place children with either a county licensed foster home or with a Foster Family Agency home.

Children referred to the ITFC Program are either currently in a group home and doing well enough to be moved to a less restrictive environment or the child is currently in a regular foster home, is acting out and may be at risk for a group home placement.

What are the children like?

The majority of the children who enter the foster care system have special issues and challenges that will effect their relationships with other people, the way they view the world, their ability to form appropriate attachments, their personal boundaries, self-esteem, school performance and general development.  The children come from a variety of backgrounds but all have experienced trauma in their lives.  A majority of children needing homes are older than six years, are teenagers, part of a sibling set, struggle with some degree of medical or emotional issues and are from diverse ethnicities. 

Children referred to the ITFC program may have severe behavioral issues or are considered to be emotionally disturbed.  These children may be on medication for things such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, etc.  Many of these children have experienced such trauma, rejection and loss that they act out behaviorally and lack the tools to have healthy relationships.  This is why it is especially important to have experienced and committed families willing to work as part of the child's treatment team.

What is a fost/adopt parent certification?

At Canyon Acres we dually certify all our families for foster care and adoption, which we refer to as a fost/adopt certification.  A child is initially placed in the home as a foster placement. If the child's case plan becomes adoption and court terminates parental rights, the foster family may then be eligible to adopt the child. Under most circumstances, the foster family will be given the first opportunity to adopt their foster child, if the child is not being reunified with their birth family or extended relatives.  A child is not considered "freed" for adoption, and may still be reunified with their birth family, until the birth parent's parental rights are terminated by the court. This is the "legal risk" that the fost/adopt family must be willing to assume in exchange for the possibility that they may ultimately be able to adopt the child.

What if we are only interested in foster care, and not adoption?     

A dual certification does not obligate you to adopt. Foster care alone is a vital service. Children need a stable and nurturing home until they can be reunified with birth family or an adoptive home is found. Many times families who initially come to Canyon Acres with the desire to provide only foster care change their minds once a child's case plan moves to adoption. The dual certification allows foster families the option of eventually adopting.

What if we are only interested in adopting and not being foster parents?    

Canyon Acres also provides services for families wanting to adopt through the foster care system. In order to adopt through the foster care system, individuals are required by state law to be certified foster parents.  However, if you are not comfortable with the legal risks you may want to look into other types of adoption; however, no adoption is without some degree of legal risk.  Other options include infant agency or attorney adoption and international adoption.  It is important to research all the options to determine which one best fits your family.

Who qualifies as an ITFC foster parent? 

Anyone 23 years of age or older of any race, ethnicity and religion is welcome to attend a Canyon Acres' fost/adopt parent orientation.  There is no age cap as long as your health, energy and desires are appropriate.

Due to the difficult behaviors and challenges associated with children who qualify for an ITFC placement, the agency does recommend that applicants looking to foster these children have a minimum of one year experience working with children who have severe behavioral issues or are emotionally disturbed.  If a two parent household, at least one parent should have a year of experience.

Married couples, singles and same sex couples are also eligible.  It is recommended that two parent families be in a stable relationship and have been married or living together for a minimum of one year.  It is also recommended that single parents not have gone through a significant separation or a death of a spouse in the last year.

Homeowners or renters simply must have enough room for the child or children.  For more information on home/room requirements please feel free to call us.  Adequate income is necessary to support your household without relying on foster care or adoption subsidies.

Does a recent marriage, divorce, birth of a child or other major change in the family affect my qualification to be an ITFC foster parent?               

Yes. Families need stability before considering fostering or adopting.  Any major life change will be assessed on an individual basis. Sometimes a brief wait is encouraged. Two parent families must be in a stable relationship and have been married or living together for a minimum of one year. Single parents may have not gone through a significant separation or a death of a spouse in the last year.

If a major change in your family occurs during anytime during the certification process, before the additional of a child, we will encourage you to temporarily place your certification on hold, allowing you to focus on your family's needs.

I have a previous arrest record, can I still qualify to be an ITFC foster parent?

Depending on the charge, a previous criminal record may or may not disqualify you from being a fost/adopt parent. Most misdemeanor charges will not prevent you from fostering or adoption. Criminal clearances are collected for all adults living in the home. It is very important to disclose any previous criminal records to your agency worker before beginning the certification process.

Can I afford to do this?                                                                               

While the child is in foster care, families receive a monthly subsidy to feed, clothe and meet the material needs of the children placed in their care. This subsidy is not meant to substitute a family's income and typically only covers the child's material needs.  Many fost/adopt parents pay for the child's extracurricular activities out of pocket. The child's medical needs are covered through Medi-Cal.  Due to additional demands and often additional costs associated with taking a child with a higher level of need (i.e. increased costs related to transportation) there is an increase in the foster parent's monthly care payment over that associated with regular treatment foster care.

Am I required to provide health insurance for the child?

Medical and dental coverage is provided through the Medi-Cal program. All children, whether foster or adoptive, are covered by Medi-Cal or Cal-Optima until they are 18 years of age. Once a child is in an adoptive placement, the family has the choice of placing the child under their private medical insurance. However, the child may continue receiving Medi-Cal as a secondary medical insurance.

Can we choose the age and gender of the child?

Yes. You may inform us of the type of child you believe would best fit in your family -- age, gender, ethnicity and medical/emotional issues. You will be asked to complete a Child Desired form during the certification process. The decision to place a child is a joint decision. Your family, the child and the county and agency social worker must all feel comfortable with the placement. You do not have to accept a child.  You may feel that a child would not fit in or you may feel that you cannot give a child the care he or she needs.  However, we do encourage our foster/adoptive parents to be as open as possible.  Limiting your requirements will directly effect the length of time you wait for a child.

Can I treat the foster children in my care like my own children?

Yes, with some exceptions, for example, California code of regulations for foster homes lists Foster Children's Personal Rights.  For example, a foster child has the right to attend the church of their choice or not to attend.  California law also prohibits corporal punishment being used on foster children. Corporal punishment includes spanking. Permission must be received from the county social service agency prior to any foster child traveling out of state or receiving certain medical treatment.  Also foster children are not allowed to be home schooled and certain educational decisions are reserved by the individual appointed holder of the child's educational rights. These personal rights and laws are covered in the pre-certification training. Once an adoption is finalized, these laws no longer apply.

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