ISFC: Intensive Services Foster Care - Special Health

Providing full team services for special needs foster youth.

Apply Now

What is Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC)?

Intensive Services Foster Care (ISFC) is a specialized program designed to meet the unique needs of children and youth who require more individualized and intensive care than what traditional foster care offers. This program is tailored for young individuals, who may have significant emotional, behavioral, or health challenges. ISFC centers on providing a nurturing and supportive family environment, coupled with comprehensive services and treatments, to ensure the holistic well-being and development of each child. By emphasizing a team-based approach, ISFC brings together dedicated foster parents, skilled professionals, and tailored resources to create a stable and healing environment, fostering resilience and positive growth in young lives.

Penny Lane Centers’ Intensive Services Foster Care Program - Special Health Program (ISFC SHCN)

Our Intensive Services Foster Care Program based in Los Angeles - California, 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).

Intensive Services Foster Care Training

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.

Support for ISFC Resource Parents

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.

Ways to Support Our ISFC Program

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.

creating
families

Sign up to learn more about the opportunity to foster or adopt a child.

Apply Now

Contact

General Inquiries
Charito Guerrero
Senior Director of In Home Services
ISFC@pennylane.org
General Inquiries
Edgar Cobos
ISFC Family Specialist
ecobos@pennylane.org