When children must leave their homes, either temporarily or permanently, they need a secure and loving family to be a part of. Foster families offer a child a stable, nurturing home environment and a sense of self-worth and family that will last a lifetime.
Treatment Foster Care (TFC) is home-based care for children and adolescents with significant emotional, behavioral or medical problem. CSSW's highly skilled staff, carrying small caseloads, personally sees and interacts with each child at least once every other week. The foster family is contacted at least twice a month, with one or more of these contacts a face-to-face visit. Services are coordinated for each child through a collaborative effort, that includes the treatment team and foster parents working together. Monthly and quarterly reports are also provided to the referring worker.
At CSSW, we offer a team approach, providing our foster parents with support services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as training and financial compensation. Help foster the future. To learn more about foster parenting, call CSSW today at 800-653-2779 or click here to request information.
CSSW is licensed by the state as a child-placing agency and recruits, trains and licenses treatment foster parents.
Respite Care for Foster Children
Respite care is the temporary care of a foster child so foster parents can have a needed break from the stress of taking care of a child or adolescent, or for other reasons that help sustain the family structure or meet the needs of the child. Respite is provided in the home of the respite provider.
Respite care has been proven to reduce family stress, reduce family isolation, enhance family coping skills, increase feelings of well-being, support family stability, prevent abuse and neglect and minimize the need for initial or further out-of-home placements. Respite care has also proven to be extremely cost effective when it is able to prevent out-of-home care placements.
Children's Service Society of Wisconsin has been providing foster care for over 40 years. We currently contract with 46 counties for the placement of children in foster care. CSSW developed the Respite Care Program to provide for the increasing number of children needing a short-term placement for a variety of reasons.
Children ages birth to 18 are referred to CSSW via numerous referral sources. These children come into respite care from various circumstances and often have special needs. Children are in care for one day to several weeks, depending on the situation. The two main types of respite care are:
- Planned respite to give the caretaker a scheduled break (vacation, weekly/monthly breaks).
- Emergency respite to intervene in a family crisis.
At CSSW, respite care providers are licensed under Wisconsin Administrative Codes HSS 56, Foster Care; HFS 38, Treatment Foster Care; or meet the criteria outlined in HSS 56 and HFS 38 to be respite care providers. Most importantly, CSSW respite care families provide for the basic needs, structure, supervision and nurturing of a child. For more information, please call 800-653-2779.
