FOSTER CARE & ADOPTION | COMMUNITY-BASED SUPPORT | PARENT TRAINING & RESOURCES

Foster care offers a supportive environment for children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or separation, helping them heal and grow. At ESP, our commitment extends beyond basic needs. We provide individualized care, extensive foster parent training, and continuous support, focusing on keeping siblings together and aiding each child in our care to develop self-esteem and optimism for a brighter future.

Adoption is a beautiful journey of love and acceptance, where families are created through bonds that transcend bloodlines. Adoptive families provide a forever family to a child in need, offering them stability, security, and care. Most importantly, they represent belonging and unconditional love. Every adoption story is a testament to the power of compassion and the joy of building a family.

Community-based services are the heart of our mission at Extra Special Parents. This broad term refers to a myriad of coordinated clinical and counseling support services that focus on healing and resilience among foster children and families. These specialized and integrated care services are provided across a range of community settings. When kids and families maintain connections within their communities, they are more likely to achieve lasting and successful outcomes. Through ESP's support and services, we empower families, build strong care networks, and create lasting bonds that transform lives; one child and one family at a time.

Parenting and Attachment Education programs and services support the development of caregiver competencies and parental capacities that affirm adult leadership roles, repair relationship ruptures, and stabilize family and social engagement.

Each family is recognized as a unique healing ecosystem with neurodiverse needs and the potential to overcome obstacles, navigate complex challenges, adapt, grow, and thrive.

A Family Compass is designed for each client, integrating Trauma-Informed Polyvagal Theory, the Neurobiology of Attachment Education, and Internal Family Systems strategies. 

We serve parents, significant caregivers and co-parents navigating: Foster Care, At-risk Removal, Trial Home Placement, Reunification Stabilization, Court-Ordered Co-Parenting Education Services, Single Parenting/Blended Families, Family Preservation Goals, and Parent-Child Ruptured Relationships.

24/7/365 Crisis Support ensures that foster families and children have round-the-clock assistance. ESP Clinical specialists are always available for immediate help in challenging situations. ESP families know they have a reliable lifeline, ready to offer guidance, comfort, and practical solutions whenever needed. Our ongoing child and family support ensures the safety and well-being of every child in our care, day or night, weekend or holidays.

Respite Care offers caregivers a well-deserved break while ensuring children receive quality care in a safe environment. Trained, licensed foster families provide temporary support to foster parents so they can manage personal priorities that arise or simply have a chance to take a parenting break and recharge. ESP encourages foster families to embrace Respite as a lifeline, rejuvenating their spirits and reinforcing their commitment to fostering. It's a win-win for everyone!

Therapeutic foster care is a specialized approach that provides nurturing homes for children with complex emotional or behavioral needs. It combines love, support, and professional interventions to help these children heal and thrive within a stable family environment.

Kinship Care offers children the priceless gift of stability and love within familiar circles, placing foster children with relatives or close family friends. Whenever possible, it is the first placement choice when children enter the foster care system. Maintaining a familial support system preserves connections and cultural heritage while providing a nurturing environment for the child's growth and well-being.

Non-custodial placements are referred to us by the Department of Social Services and provide vital support for families in crisis before a child might otherwise enter the foster care system. When initiated by a birth parent, this process gives children temporary placement in a home with a licensed foster family until the child can safely return to their birth family. In these cases, the court has agreed it is in the best interests of foster youth to remain in custody of their birth parents or legal guardians during an out-of-home placement. This prevention and assistance tool offers the brightest outcomes for children whose parents are managing through a life crisis.

Pre-adoptive placements are an exciting step in a child's journey towards finding their forever family. These placements match children with families who are on the path to adoption, offering stability, love, and the promise of a bright future together.

Visitation support for biological and foster families is vital for maintaining connections and promoting reunification. It ensures meaningful interactions between children and their birth families while providing guidance and assistance to foster families. Nurturing relationships between foster children, their birth parents, and siblings paves the way for an easier transition when the court determines that foster youth can safely return home to rejoin their family of origin.

At ESP, we're dedicated to ongoing training and development for foster families. Through regular training, support groups, and resources, we empower our foster parents to grow and thrive continuously in their vital roles, ensuring the best care for every child. Join us in making a lasting difference!

Specialized training equips foster parents with invaluable tools and insights to provide nurturing environments for children with diverse needs. These may include medical conditions and disabilities, as well as emotional or behavioral disorders. This extensive training empowers foster parents to confidently advocate and navigate individualized care challenges, supporting resilience and growth in their foster kids. With each session, foster parents become better equipped to provide care and positively impact the lives of the unique foster children they welcome into their homes.

Sibling group placement is a heartwarming practice where brothers and sisters in foster care get to continue living together in the same home. There is an urgent need for more approved and willing foster families who can take in sibling groups. When children stay with siblings, it helps reduce trauma and foster a sense of security and stability. It's also a beautiful opportunity to nurture the sibling bond, ensuring children grow up surrounded by familiar faces and unconditional love. Together, we're building stronger families and brighter futures!

Emergency placements provide immediate shelter and care for children in crises, ensuring their safety and well-being. ESP's 24/7 response team and foster families provide vital support to urgent needs, offering stability and loving care during difficult times. Your willingness as a foster parent to open your heart and home on short notice provides a soft landing place and makes a difference in a child's life.

Independent Living Skills (ILS) empowers foster teens as they transition to adulthood, guiding essential life skills like budgeting, housing, and employment. Many foster youth did not have a role model, parent, or adult to provide a foundation for successful independence. This base of knowledge and skills helps equip young people with the tools and support they need to confidently pursue their dreams after they age out of foster care and make it on their own.

Supervised visitation provides a structured environment for children in foster care to spend time with their biological families safely. Overseen by trained professionals, visitation time strengthens family connections while ensuring each child's well-being. It provides a step towards reunification, offering hope and support for families during challenging times.

Resource Family Casework involves providing comprehensive support and guidance to foster families, also known as resource parents or families. From initial training to ongoing assistance, involved casework ensures caregivers have the tools and resources to nurture and support children in their care. Personalized care for each foster child and family empowers parents to create safe, loving homes, making a profound difference in children's lives.

Parent coaching is invaluable for fostering positive parenting skills and strengthening family dynamics. Through professional coaching and guidance, biological and foster parents learn practical techniques to communicate and nurture their kids. Coaches also teach discipline strategies that are essential to the unique backgrounds and experiences of all traumatized foster children. At ESP, we teach, coach, and empower parents to navigate challenges, celebrate successes, and create loving, supportive homes for their children.

Intact Family Casework is a dynamic approach that focuses on preserving family unity and addressing underlying issues to prevent out-of-home placement. Working together within the connected family, we empower families with resources, guidance, and support to overcome challenges, strengthen bonds, and create a safe, nurturing environment where children can thrive within their own loving families.

Therapeutic mentoring is a powerful tool for foster children, strengthening their resilience and paving the way for growth in the face of challenges. This type of mentoring blends in, without disrupting a child's daily priorities, to serve as a supportive guide on their journey. Mentors offer undivided attention, understanding, encouragement, and practical strategies that foster children and teens can use to navigate life's ups and downs. With Therapeutic Mentoring, every step forward becomes a triumph worth celebrating!