PATH Wisconsin, Inc.

Qualifications of Treatment Foster Parents

PATH Wisconsin, Inc. recruits experienced foster parents who have the capacity to provide quality care and treatment to youth placed with our agency. People interested in becoming licensed with PATH Wisconsin, Inc. should possess the following characteristics and capabilities:

• Previous foster care experience or related work experience, or the ability and willingness to obtain the necessary training to develop specialized skills in caring for treatment foster youth:
• Willingness and ability to work as a team member with the treatment foster youth, the youth's family, social workers, educators and other human service professionals;
• Ability to work with youth of different ages, ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic backgrounds and youth experiencing multiple challenges: and
• Strong commitment to lifelong learning and commitment to education to support their role as a professional treatment foster parent.

The Treatment Foster Care Licensing Process

PATH Wisconsin, Inc. is a Child Placing Agency licensed by the State of Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services to license treatment foster homes. In addition to meeting the foster parent requirements outlined in Wisconsin Administrative Code, specifically HFS 56 Foster Home Care for Children and HFS 38 Treatment Foster Care for Children, treatment foster parent applicants must meet the PATH Wisconsin, Inc. licensing standards.

The licensing process is a time for the PATH Wisconsin, Inc. licensing social worker to determine whether an applicant family meets the requirements for licensure as well as to determine what strengths the family may have related to caring for youth with specific emotional, behavioral or medical challenges. It is also a time for applicants to explore with their family how providing this type of specialized foster care would fit into their lives. It is for this reason that considerable time is invested in this stage of the licensing process. PATH Wisconsin, Inc. or the applicant family may make the decision not to proceed with licensing at any point in the process.

Brief Licensing Overview

• Application material submission to agency
• Background checks
• Reference checks
• Home safety assessment
• Series of interviews with applicants & family members
• Licensing social worker consultation with supervisor

Based upon all of the information gathered during the course of the licensing process, the licensing social worker and his/her supervisor make a determination whether to approve licensure of the applicant family.