Hope grows when someone opens their heart and their home

Treatment Foster Care

Every child deserves a safe place to be loved, to grow, and to belong. A place where hope can grow.

Yet, there are many children and teens who have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, or loss that has disrupted their sense of safety and trust. They need more than a temporary place to stay. They need caring adults, stability, and specialized support to help them thrive. At Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, we aim to bring the healing, help, and hope of Jesus Christ to those in need through a compassionate, caring presence. Through the Treatment Foster Care program, we connect children with specially-trained foster families who can provide the structure, encouragement, and therapeutic support they need to build brighter futures.

We believe and have experienced how hope can grow when someone opens their heart and their home to children in need.

Do you have a home where hope can grow?

What Is Treatment Foster Care?

Treatment Foster Care (TFC) is a specialized, home-based program for children and teens who have experienced significant trauma and need a higher level of care than traditional foster care can provide.

TFC parents become an essential part of a child’s healing journey. With training, professional guidance and ongoing support, they help create a safe, nurturing environment where young people can develop healthy relationships, learn new skills, and reach their full potential.

Who Might Need TFC?

Children and youth in TFC have often experienced multiple forms of trauma and may struggle with emotional, behavioral, developmental or medical challenges. They need the stability of a committed family environment and specialized support to help them heal.

A child, teenager or young adult (ages 6 to 19) may benefit from TFC if they:

  • Have significant emotional or medical needs
  • Are experiencing mental health or behavioral challenges
  • Have missed important developmental milestones
  • Struggle with age-appropriate social, emotional, or behavioral skills

What are the Requirements to Become a TFC Parent?

  • Be at least 21 years of age
  • Have a safe home with adequate space for the child
  • Be in generally good physical and emotional health
  • Be financially stable
  • Be of good moral character
  • Be willing and able to accommodate and care for additional children in your home
  • Be willing to undergo child abuse and criminal history background checks
  • Partner with the child’s biological family as needed

How We Support TFC Parents and What to Expect

TFC parents are never alone on this journey. Our experienced TFC team provides ongoing guidance, resources, and support to help both parents and children succeed.

All families receive the following types of support:

  • 25 hours of annual training
  • Dedicated support staff with specialized training
  • 24/7 access for crisis coaching and medication concerns
  • Nursing support for physical and medical concerns
  • Monthly stipend to help cover the child’s expenses
  • Healthcare coverage, including behavioral health services
  • Annual clothing allowance
  • Annual vacation
  • 48 hours of respite care per month
  • Education advocacy for challenges in homeschooling or school district

Together Facing the Challenge

Together Facing the Challenge (TFTC) is a skills-based training program that Marygrove uses for TFC parent preparation. The evidence-based interventions found in this curriculum and support from a Marygrove treatment team will provide TFC parents with the education and training needed to provide consistent and effective treatment within the home. This curriculum, developed by the Omni Family Institute, works on the following key factors that lead to positive outcomes for kids.

  • Supportive and involved relationships between TFC staff and treatment parents
  • Effective use of behavior management strategies by treatment parents
  • Supportive and involved relationships between treatment parents and the youth in their care

Trauma-informed care principles such as safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration, and empowerment are embedded throughout the curriculum. Initial and ongoing training plus monthly one-on-one support from a TFC Specialist focus on the following areas of competencies:

  • Building therapeutic relationships and teaching cooperation
  • Setting expectations
  • Use of effective parenting tools to enhance cooperation
  • Implementing effective consequences
  • Assisting youth in the transition to young adulthood
  • Understanding the importance of having a healthy cultural, racial, and ethnic identity
  • Teaching effective communication skills and taking care of self

After reviewing all of this information, we’d like to ask: do you have a home where hope can grow?

The most important qualification for becoming a TFC parent is a willingness to provide consistency, compassion, and commitment to a child who needs them. If you have room in your heart and home to help a child heal and thrive, we'd love to talk with you.