Penny Lane Centers’ Intensive Services Foster Care Special Health Program (ISFC SHCN) is a foster care placement that focuses on children or youth, ages 0-21 that have special health related needs. The illnesses are of a nature that without trained care, could lead to serious injury or death (diabetes, asthma, seizure disorders as an example). Children receiving these services while placed in foster care, are referred by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and screened to match them with a qualified caring resource parent(s).
In the Intensive Services Foster Care application process, parents are provided the initial training to become a resource parent. Applicants are also provided additional training that pertains to the specific child’s health. With every child placed in this ISFC program, Penny Lane provides a social worker, therapist as needed, and nursing staff to provide oversight and support to the child/youth and the resource parent(s). The nursing staff provides training for the resource parent and the child/youth specific to the child’s health diagnosis and communicates with the assigned Physician and Specialist to ensure that the nursing care plan addresses what is prescribed. The social worker assigned to the ISFC family is also trained in the specific health needs of each child/youth on their caseload. They do weekly visits to the home to provide full support to the resource parent while also making sure the needs of the child/youth are being met. Nursing staff meet weekly with each resource parent and child/youth and are available 24 hours a day. The training is extensive and must be completed prior to placing a child with special health needs in the home. A family will complete the initial 40 hours of training and then 16 hours of training that addresses the types of special health needs.
Resource parents receive on-going specialized training specific to the needs of the child/youth in their home. ISFC parents meet weekly for support and receive a significantly higher stipend than regular foster parents.
Even if you do not know anyone in ISFC but would still like to support the program, there are ways to help! Consider making a donation to Penny Lane, that helps meet the ever expanding continuum of care. You may also consider volunteering for Penny Lane to help make a difference.
Consider donating directly to our Intensive Services Foster Care Special Health program and help a child with special needs. Every dollar counts.
