Foster Care

When parents or caregivers are unwilling, unfit or unable to provide a safe, loving home where their child(ren) are free from abuse and neglect, New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) may determine it is necessary to place the child(ren) in foster care. As one of the City’s largest and most highly-regarded* foster care service providers, The New York Foundling is responsible for more than 1,400 children who are living in individual and specialized foster boarding homes or in group residential settings.

The Foundling works with birth parents, teaching them parenting skills and providing emotional and practical support, with the goal of reuniting them with their children whenever possible. During this time, the children live with loving foster families or in residential, family-like settings under the supervision of trained Foundling staff.

Foster parents are recruited through extensive community outreach programs, and undergo rigorous screening and training prior to having a child placed in their home. Interested in opening your heart and home to a child who needs one? Apply to become a foster parent or call The Foundling’s Foster Parent Recruitment Hotline at 718-551-3511.



Adoption

Each year, more than 120 of The Foundling’s foster parents make their bonds with their foster children permanent through adoption. For those children in foster care who are “freed” and may be legally adopted, The Foundling carefully screens adoptive parents to ensure the formalization of the relationship is in the best interest of the child, in the long term.

The adoption process includes thorough background checks and home studies as well as a series of meetings to ensure the best fit for all parties. The Foundling's Adoption Services consistently receives some of the highest scores among the top providers of adoptions finalized each year in the New York City area**. For more information, call 212-727-6817 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

*Based on New York City’s 2006 Evaluation and Quality Improvement Protocol (EQUIP) Scores.
**Based on NYC Administration for Children’s Services evaluation.



Specialized Foster Boarding Homes


Health Care Homes

Through the Health Care Homes program, The Foundling places children in the foster care system with intensive medical needs into comfortable, home settings where they can receive the appropriate care. Many of the children in the Health Care Home program, who range in age from birth to 21, have developmental delays and severe medical conditions.

Foundling staff works with specially trained foster parents, birth parents and medical and health care professionals to ensure the children receive the vital services they require, including:
- Mental health, such as psychiatric and psychological
- Medical-related, such as immunological diagnostic, laboratory, pharmacological, rehabilitative
- Practical, such as nutritional, recreational, educational

We also help parents access the support they need to deal with issues such as:
- transportation
- education
- housing
- domestic violence



Therapeutic Foster Boarding Homes

The Foundling’s Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home Program (TFBH) works with children and adolescents who have an extensive psychiatric history and behavioral difficulties coupled with emotional disturbances. A team of professionals on the Foundling staff collaborates with mental health providers and specially-trained foster parents to:
- Address the treatment needs of behaviorally disordered and emotionally disturbed youngsters in a community-based, family-like setting
- Develop and carry out individualized treatment and behavioral plans to improve behavioral, cognitive and interpersonal skills
- Offer a sense of permanence and a connection with a foster family
- Ensure the child is placed in the “least restrictive placement”

With the care and coordination of therapists, social workers and foster parents, The Foundling’s Therapeutic Foster Boarding Home Program is committed to providing children the opportunity, whenever possible, to live and hopefully thrive in a family-like setting rather than an institution.