Ocean Mental Health Services is Hosting a Meet and Greet next week in Toms River to recruit Therapeutic Families to become foster parents to children with emotional or behavioral concerns.

It’s called the Connections Program. Where foster parents are trained to help children that range in age from 7 to 17 transition in to more permanent environments.

“Of course the goal is reunification with the family, if possible, move into standard foster care, independent living (depending on their age) or adoption,” according to Connections Coordinator Jennifer Miln.

Miln said that Therapeutic Families receive a wide array of services to help them care for children placed in their homes for anywhere from 30 days to a year.

“They receive parenting skills training, we provide counseling services weekly to the children, home visits, they have access to us 24/7 via phone,” explains Miln. They also offer a stipend to help cover the financial cost of providing for the children.

Miln also explains that a lot of thought goes into placing the children in homes.

“The children are carefully selected based on a child’s history, their needs, as well as the strength of the foster parent.”

The ideal foster parent, according to Miln, would be energetic, caring and committed who can provide a child with a warm and stable home.

The Open House takes place Tuesday, October 28th at the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library from 6 to 8 p.m. Miln also invites anyone who can’t attend to contact her at 732-349-3535 extension 702.

You can also get more information at their web site at oceanmhs.org.

 

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