Need for Foster Homes at All-Time Critical High
November, as National Adoption Month, Underscores Urgent Need For Placement, Stability for Children
WATERBURY, Conn. – (November 6, 2024) – November is National Adoption Month, which is designed to raise awareness about the critical need for adoptive families for children and youth in foster care. It’s also a time to consider the urgent need for foster homes for hundreds of children and youth in Connecticut.
A Wheeler program serving youth and families in nine cities and towns in Greater Waterbury continues to actively and urgently recruit foster families who can provide stable, safe, caring environments for youth in foster care for shorter durations. Funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, the program serves children and youth, ages 6 to 17, right in their own communities.
“More than ever, we are seeing an urgent need for foster families, nationally and here in Connecticut, and observances like National Adoption Month are springboards for this necessary conversation,” said Sharon Pendleton-Ponzani, LCSW, director, Wheeler Foster Care. “The world is increasingly complicated, and people are preoccupied with social and economic concerns, which means that critical challenges like foster care have moved farther into the background.
“We need families, and we need them now,” added Pendleton-Ponzani. “Our team will work closely with all family members involved in this process, and we’ll provide incentives such as a monthly stipend.”
Pendleton-Ponzani said that additional support is provided to foster families, including training in the Functional Family Therapy-Foster Care (FFT-FC ) model so they can better understand how to successfully support youth who live in their homes. The FFT-FC model also provides support groups for foster parents using a framework developed by FFT Partners (the model developer).
Wheeler’s program includes a dedicated team of multidisciplinary professionals who provide weekly in-home sessions with youth and families as well as 24/7 on-call coverage support for the foster family. Support groups, ongoing training, and coordination of services for youth also are provided. Families are trained in trauma-informed care as well as in an evidence-based Functional Family Therapy Foster Care model.
Wheeler’s Foster Care program serves youth and families in: Beacon Falls, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Prospect, Southbury, Waterbury, Wolcott, and Woodbury. There is a great need for new foster homes in this region to help local children, particularly teenagers.
For more information, call 860.793.7277 or email: Fostercareprograms@wheelerclinic.org.
About Wheeler’s Foster Care Program
Wheeler’s Foster Care program, funded by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families, provides 24-hour support to families and youth in Greater Waterbury. Wheeler’s program provides a higher level of care and resources, including support to meet the needs of children and youth and help them heal from abuse, neglect, trauma, and more.
Wheeler’s foster families come from all walks of life. They provide a safe, supportive home environment for children in need. Foster parents may be married or single and rent or own their own home. They must have a stable income and transportation, although a stipend is provided to cover the costs of caring for the child. Many foster parents have children, or have raised children, or others may work with children. For others, it is the discovery that there are children in need of supportive and nurturing caregivers, and a willingness to be trained as foster parents to provide stability for youth while the birth parents are getting the help they need.
For information about Wheeler Foster Care opportunities, call 860.793.7277, email Fostercareprograms@wheelerclinic.org or visit WheelerHealth.org/Foster.
About Wheeler
Wheeler provides comprehensive solutions that address complex health issues, providing individuals, families, and communities with accessible, innovative care that encourages health, recovery, and growth at all stages of life. Wheeler’s integrated approach to primary and behavioral health, education, and recovery creates measurable results, positive outcomes, and hopeful tomorrows for more than 60,000 individuals across Connecticut each year. Learn more: WheelerHealth.org.