Foster Care & Family Support

Creating safe, loving, and stable homes for children who cannot remain with their birth families. We support both the children in care and the extraordinary families who open their hearts and homes.

Our Foster Care Mission

Every child deserves a safe, stable, and loving home environment. When children cannot remain with their birth families due to abuse, neglect, or other circumstances, foster care provides a vital safety net that can transform and save lives.

At ISTA Foundation, we work tirelessly to strengthen the foster care system by recruiting, training, and supporting exceptional foster families while providing comprehensive services to help children heal, grow, and thrive in their care. Our ultimate goal is to ensure every child has a permanent, loving family - whether through reunification, adoption, or long-term care.

Foster Care Impact

450+

Children in Our Care

180

Foster Families

95%

Successful Placements

250

Children Adopted

Types of Foster Care

Emergency Foster Care

Immediate, short-term placement for children removed from dangerous situations. Typically lasts 1-30 days while permanent solutions are developed.

  • • 24-hour placement availability
  • • Crisis intervention support
  • • Immediate safety and stability
  • • Trauma-informed care

Temporary Foster Care

Medium-term placement while families work toward reunification or alternative permanent solutions. Duration typically ranges from months to two years.

  • • Reunification support services
  • • Family therapy facilitation
  • • Educational stability
  • • Ongoing case management

Long-term Foster Care

Permanent or long-term placement for children who cannot return home and are not suitable for adoption. Provides stability through childhood.

  • • Permanency planning
  • • Life skills preparation
  • • Educational continuity
  • • Transition to independence

Our Comprehensive Services

Foster Family Recruitment & Training

We actively recruit and thoroughly train compassionate individuals and families who want to make a difference in a child's life. Our comprehensive training program prepares foster parents for the challenges and rewards of caring for children who have experienced trauma.

Training Components:
  • • 40-hour pre-service training
  • • Trauma-informed care education
  • • Child development principles
  • • Crisis management techniques
  • • Cultural competency training
Ongoing Support:
  • • Monthly support groups
  • • 24/7 crisis hotline
  • • Continuing education workshops
  • • Respite care services
  • • Peer mentoring programs

Child-Centered Services

Every child in our care receives individualized support designed to address their unique needs, heal from past trauma, and build resilience for the future. We prioritize the child's voice and ensure their needs are at the center of all decisions.

Therapeutic Services:
  • • Individual trauma therapy
  • • Play therapy for young children
  • • Family therapy sessions
  • • Group therapy programs
  • • Psychiatric evaluation & medication management
Educational Support:
  • • Educational advocacy
  • • Tutoring and homework assistance
  • • Special education services
  • • College preparation programs
  • • Vocational training opportunities

Birth Family Reunification Services

When safe and appropriate, our goal is to help children return to their birth families. We provide comprehensive services to address the issues that led to placement and support families in creating safe, stable environments for their children.

Family Support Services:
  • • Parenting skills training
  • • Substance abuse treatment
  • • Mental health counseling
  • • Housing and financial assistance
  • • Domestic violence intervention
Reunification Process:
  • • Supervised visitation coordination
  • • Family therapy sessions
  • • Gradual transition planning
  • • Post-reunification monitoring
  • • Crisis intervention services

Adoption & Permanency Services

When children cannot safely return to their birth families, we work to find permanent, loving adoptive families. Our adoption services ensure smooth transitions and provide ongoing support to adoptive families.

Adoption Services:
  • • Adoptive family recruitment
  • • Home study evaluations
  • • Child-family matching
  • • Legal adoption support
  • • Post-adoption services
Permanency Planning:
  • • Kinship care placement
  • • Guardianship arrangements
  • • Independent living preparation
  • • Transition support services
  • • Lifelong connections facilitation

Transition to Independence Program

For youth aging out of foster care, we provide comprehensive support to ensure they have the skills, resources, and connections needed to successfully transition to independent adult life.

Life Skills Training:
  • • Financial literacy & budgeting
  • • Job readiness & interview skills
  • • Housing & apartment searching
  • • Healthcare navigation
  • • Higher education support
Ongoing Support:
  • • Transitional housing assistance
  • • Educational scholarships
  • • Career mentorship programs
  • • Alumni support network
  • • Emergency assistance fund

Stories of Hope & Healing

“I was 8 when I came into foster care, scared and angry at the world. My foster parents, the Johnsons, never gave up on me even when I pushed them away. They loved me through my worst moments and celebrated my smallest victories. Today, I'm a social worker helping other kids in foster care. The Johnsons adopted me when I was 12, and I finally knew what family meant.”
- Marcus T., Former Foster Child
“Becoming foster parents was the most challenging and rewarding thing we've ever done. Over 5 years, we've provided temporary homes for 12 children and adopted our daughter Emma. The training and support from ISTA Foundation gave us the tools we needed to help heal these precious children. Every child deserves a loving family.”
- Sarah & Mike Johnson, Foster Parents

Support Schedule

Foster Parent Support

Monthly meetings

2nd Saturday

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Training Sessions

Ongoing programs

Evenings & weekends

Flexible scheduling

Crisis Support

24/7 availability

1-800-FOSTER

Emergency response team

Open Your Heart & Home

Every child deserves a loving family and a safe place to call home. Whether you're interested in fostering, adopting, volunteering, or supporting our mission, you can help change a child's life forever. Take the first step today.

Information sessions held monthly • Training provided • Ongoing support guaranteed