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 Shelter Care provides safe, nurturing homes for youth between the ages of 11 to 17 who have been removed from their biological families due to alleged neglect and/or abuse. A master’s level therapist and case manager work with each youth, biological family when indicated, and foster family to provide stability, crisis resolution, and counseling during the evaluation period, during which the most appropriate permanent placement is determined. Foster families are seen a minimum of twice weekly. Biological families are seen a minimum of once weekly to provide needed support and guidance. Program placement goal is a maximum of 90 days, with average stays of 45 days.
Shelter Care/ Foster Parent Qualities
- Experienced parents who demonstrate stability and maturity, with or without other children in the home
- Flexible, structured, and caring
- Enjoy working with teens
- Demonstrated positive parenting skills and knowledge of child development
- Familiar with teenage emotions and behavior
- Ability to work with a variety of community-based services for the benefit of teens and their families and toward the permanency goal
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Responsibilities of Shelter Care Foster Parents
- Provide shelter and emotional and physical support to the children in care
- Participate in school enrollment and follow up on school concerns
- Coordinate service delivery with case manager and/or therapist
- Participate in regular communication with the therapist and case manager
- Be supportive of permanency planning
- Provide transportation to appointments, such as medical/dental visits, counseling appointments, and visitation
- Follow rules, regulations, and policies of Bethany Christian Services and the Bureau of Regulatory Services
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Application Procedure to Become a Shelter Care Foster Parent
- Contact (616) 224-7550 or e-mail us to obtain an application.
- Participate in orientation and 12-15 hours of PRIDE Training (Parent Resources for Information Development and Education).
- Permit a home study assessment, which is a licensing requirement for the state of Michigan.
- Provide a total of 3 non-relative references.
- Pass criminal, protective services, and driver license background checks.
- Provide a medical statement for each member of the household to indicate that no known adverse conditions exist which would affect the care of the foster child.
- Complete ongoing training of a minimum of 6 hours annually on developmental, child-related issues.
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Benefits of Shelter Care Foster Parenting with Bethany Christian Services
- Opportunity to put love of children into action
- Team-based approach to care
- Experienced, friendly, and knowledgeable staff
- Twice weekly in-home support services
- Assumption of an active role in the community
- Skilled mentors and support groups
- Medical, vision, and dental care for foster children through Medicaid
- Designated amount of food and clothing reimbursement for foster children through the state of Michigan
- Emergency on-call number 24 hours daily, including weekends and holidays
- Ongoing training opportunities and support groups
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Contact Information
Program hours are Mondays and Fridays from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
(616) 224-7618
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