FOSTER CARE &
ADOPTION

South Dakota Kids Need You Now

Hundreds of South Dakota children are waiting for foster homes. In fact, some areas of the state have five times more children awaiting foster care than foster homes available.

Statewide there were 1,710 children in foster care (as of June 30, 2024) and a total of 824 foster homes available.

At Children’s Home Society (CHS) we help families offer Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC), which is higher level of care (as opposed to Basic Foster Care) for children with behavioral or emotional needs. TFC providers receive additional training and continuous support from our case managers and therapists

We hope you will take a moment to learn more about foster care.

What is Therapeutic Foster Care?

The Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program at Children’s Home Society of South Dakota (CHS) offers compassionate, trauma-informed, client centered, strengths-based foster care for children with moderate behavioral or emotional needs and others requiring special medical care.

A goal for each child in TFC is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home environment conducive to the child’s positive development. We establish Individual objectives for each child to promote healthy development in terms of physical, emotional, educational and social needs.

CHS is licensed by the South Dakota Department of Social Services as a child placement agency and is accredited by COA.

Overview

TFC serves children who have experienced abuse, neglect, traumatic life events, and often, the loss of their family. Some children may have significant medical issues. Many have built walls around themselves to avoid being hurt again. As a result, they may have difficulty managing their emotions and may present challenging behaviors.

TFC is one level in the continuum of treatment for children with emotional or behavioral disorders. CHS also provides services which include residential treatment, special education day school and outpatient intervention. We believe children have the right to receive treatment in the least restrictive environment and strive to ensure each child’s unique needs are met appropriately and safely.

The TFC program is designed to empower children with emotional or behavioral needs to succeed in a family setting. We recruit foster families who have the desire and ability to care for these children. TFC parents receive specialized training along with intensive support, supervision, consultation and intervention services.

Our program is exclusively operated by highly qualified CHS staff. Working together with you, we help children recover from trauma and prepare them for permanency either through reunification, kinship, guardianship or adoption.

The most essential component of TFC is the child’s positive adaptation as a member of a family system. Foster parents must be able to provide positive guidance, care and supervision to meet the developmental needs of the child.

Children in placement need unconditional affection and acceptance along with consistent, developmentally appropriate expectations. Discipline should be a teaching process designed to assist the child in developing self-esteem and self-control. Natural and logical consequences are the most effective response to inappropriate behavior. Spanking or physical discipline of children in foster care is not allowed.

How We Help You

Individuals or families who provide TFC receive a much greater level of support than those providing basic foster care. We prepare you for meeting the needs of children in TFC and we’re here to help whenever you need us.

Our services include:

• Collaborative and coordinated planning for:
  • Treatment
  • Transition
  • Permanency
• Therapeutic case management
• Counseling and therapy services
• Supervision of foster home and children in foster care
• Intentional involvement with child’s birth family or support network
• Education or special education services
• Evidence-based interventions
• Vocational services
• Medical services
• 24/7 support