Thornwell’s foster care program provides foster home licensing services to families interested in becoming foster parents in South Carolina. The licensing process can be overwhelming, and we are here to support families in that process of changing lives. Becoming a foster parent is a family decision. Families need to make the choice to care for and love children who have experienced abuse, neglect, and trauma. Thornwell has a dedicated licensing worker who walks a family through the complex steps to be able to welcome children from a wide variety of backgrounds into their home. The Thornwell licensing process focuses on the details of obtaining a license that ensures children will be safe and in a stable home environment.
Once a Thornwell foster family, they will receive a Foster Care Family Support Specialist who meets with them monthly to provide support and training opportunities and check on the continued safety of children placed in their home. The Foster Care Family Specialist will work closely with representatives from the South Carolina Department of Social Services to identify and place children in Thornwell foster homes and support both the child and the foster family during their placement. Foster Care staff are trained in Trust Based Relational Intervention, and they can offer tools, suggestions, and activities to help families connect with children placed in their care. They will also be offered opportunities to meet with other foster families during quarterly Family Fun days. With foster families’ commitment to these children, we hope to be able to keep siblings together and provide homes for all ages of children.
Foster Care is a temporary solution to caring for children who’ve experienced abuse and neglect. Foster families have a great opportunity to help children learn healthy relationships during the time the children stay in their homes. While foster parents care for children placed in their homes, the children’s parents are working to provide a safe and loving home for their children. The primary goal of foster care is reunification – children returning to parents or other safe family members. Sometimes, children are placed with relatives or fictive kinship care providers. Foster families are integral partners in the success of that process.
To speak with a thought leader about foster care, contact our Thornwell Media Relations Team below.
