Hale Kipa provides Therapeutic Foster Care services on the Islands of O‘ahu and Hawai‘i under our Transitional Family Homes Program, which is overseen by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division of the State of Hawai‘i Department of Health.
We work with youth ages 3 through 17, connecting them with trained resource caregivers (or foster parents) for as little as a few days up to 9 months. We also provide regular ongoing support.
We offer:
• Full-time foster homes: Up to 9 months
• Short-term foster care: One night to two weeks
• Kamala Homes: Short-term emergency care
Therapeutic Foster Care assists youth with additional emotional and behavioral needs, and includes the 24-hour support of Hale Kipa and regular visits by our foster home staff and a Therapist / Case Manager. This program keeps youth in a healthy family unit until they can be reunited with their natural family, adopted, or learn to live independently. The length of their stay with a foster family depends on the youth’s treatment plan.
Youth in care are not “bad” children. They come from a bad situation, but not bad families. Youth in foster care need stability, consistency, safety and support to learn how to live in a healthy, nurturing home. Foster families take pride in helping youth regain a sense of stability in their lives.
Benefits to fostering include:
• Making a lifelong impact in a child’s life
• 24/7 on-call staff support
• Therapeutic & support services for youth
• Monthly support (individual & group)
• Dedicated staff member for foster families
• Respite care options up to two weeks (for vacations or other needs)
• Generous stipend to cover fostering expenses
Each foster parent receives 36 hours of initial training, as well as ongoing training and 24-hour support from Hale Kipa. Training includes basic CPR and first aid, as well as an overview of Hale Kipa policies and the Therapeutic Foster Care program. Foster parents are typically certified in less than three months, and training is scheduled around each family’s needs.
Hale Kipa then works with each youth and parent on a matching process, evaluating how the youth will fit comfortably into the home. Every youth and family meet before a placement is considered.
There are standard qualifications, but foster parents can be married or single, with or without children already in their families, or rent or own their home. Overall, we are looking for individuals, couples or families who can advocate for children and nurture them. Through our nationally recognized training, parents come to understand how children grow and develop, and how abuse, neglect and trauma affect their development.
All licensed foster parents receive the same level of screening, training and certification. Parents then decide what level of support – full-time (up to 11 months), respite (short-term up to two weeks), or Kamala Homes (short-term emergency) – that they would like to provide.
What is the program Hale Kipa uses to train resource caregivers (foster parents)?
Our pre-service training curriculum for resource caregivers (foster parents) is designed by Pressley Ridge, a nationally recognized, accredited and evidence-informed program. The Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care (TFC) model provides foster parents with advanced clinical and technical training and support to best serve the youth placed in their home. The curriculum teaches foster parents how to implement skills such as effective and appropriate communication and discipline techniques, as well as behavioral strategies and positive relationship building.
Learn more about the Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care (TFC) model here.
Foster parents receive a generous monthly tax-free stipend to cover expenses such as school supplies, household operations, food and transportation. All foster youth have full medical and dental insurance.
If fostering is the right choice for you, we will help guide you through the screening, certification and training process. This starts with a home visit to get to know your dedicated Hale Kipa Foster Home Developer.
We invite you to learn more about the services we offer and to contact us to start a conversation about how you can help make a difference in the lives of Hawai‘i’s youth. To learn more about Therapeutic Foster Care or in becoming a foster parent, please contact:
Gregory Spangler
O‘ahu Clinical Program Manager
808.589.1829 Ext. 115
808.466.0101
gspangler@halekipa.org
Kirsten Wong
Hawai‘i Island Foster Home Developer
808.969.1935
kiwong@halekipa.org
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