Foster Home Types

Children in foster care often have unique needs and situations. Parent's backgrounds and abilities can play a vital role in best matching children with foster families. Learn more about the types of foster homes and which may be best suited for you.

Traditional foster home

A family that can provide care and structure to a youth from birth to teen while promoting safe and healthy childhood experiences. 

  • Can work outside of the home as daycare is provided
  • Can have no more than five children total in the home, including biological children
  • Children are in traditional school settings with no extraordinary needs
  • Children typically have minimal or no medication management needs
  • Children will have weekly visitation with biological parent which should be supported by the foster parent

Medical foster home

A family that is committed to providing care for a youth, birth to teen, with a diagnosed extraordinary medical condition that requires 24-hour care. This could include children with acute medical issues or severe developmental delays. 

  • Medical background or experience with medical needs children is ideal but not required
  • Additional medical instruction/training is provided based upon the child’s needs
  • Can have no more than two medical children and no more than five children total in the home, including biological children

Elevated needs foster home

A family that can provide intensive, individualized interventions that allow a child to be successful in a home-based setting. Children and adolescents require greater structure, supervision, and are less able to assume responsibility for daily care.

  • Behavioral training: 18 hours (includes understanding child trauma and managing challenging behavior)
  • Intensive behavioral training: 9 hours (includes crisis management, behavior management, and medication management)
  • Typically, youth are age 5 or older and have more significant behavioral and mental health needs
  • Responsible for arranging and transporting to all medical appointments, therapy, and community activities
  • Minimum of one year of experience as a traditional foster parent
  • Can work outside of the home; the primary caretaker should have a flexible job as these youth often have more appointments
  • Provide 24-hour supervision and responsiveness to child’s needs
  • Can have no more than two above-level children in the home with a maximum of four children total, including biological children
  • Children will have weekly visitation with biological parent which should be supported by the foster parent

Respite home

A family that can provide temporary short-term care for a child or youth while their permanent foster home is out of town or needs a short break.

  • Temporary care for children, adolescents, or young adults up to age 21 for short-term time periods (24 hours up to 7 days)
  • Children still attend school and daycare while in respite care
  • Encouraged during the licensing process to see if fostering may be a good fit

Emergency foster home 

A family that can provide up to 30 days of emergency care for a child or youth until a permanent foster home can be located. 

  • Temporary care for children, adolescents, or young adults up to age 21 for short-term time periods (7 to 30 days)
  • Children still attend school and daycare while in emergency care

Crittenton Children’s Center is actively seeking individuals and families that may be interested in becoming foster or foster-to-adopt parents.

Treatment Foster Care (TFC) program 

This type of foster home supports children with significant emotional, behavioral, medical, or developmental needs in a living situation for one or two children living in a family foster home setting.   

This home structure can provide a family-based care option for children with higher treatment needs who require more support than a traditional foster home can offer.

This home structure may be a good fit for parents who can:

  • Complete 27 additional hours of approved specialized training and a minimum of 10 hours of annual in-service training on issues related to the treatment and care of children, in addition to traditional foster care requirements
  • Support children who may otherwise require residential treatment, but can be successfully cared for in a treatment family setting
  • Provide a short-term, treatment-focused family setting that helps children transition to a less restrictive living environment

Learn more about our Foster Care and Foster-to-Adopt services.