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Pregnancy Assistance
Adoption Services
Foster Care
Supervised Treatment Evaluation Program (STEP)
What is STEP?
STEP was developed in 1995 through an initiative of the Juvenile Divison of the Newaygo County Family Court in collaboration with Bethany. STEP was developed in response to a need for a program that was more structured than foster care, but less restrictive than detention, and designed specifically for pre-adjudicated and adjudicated male youth (aged 12-17).
Where is STEP?
STEP is located at the Fisk Group Foster Home located in a rural area near the city of Sand Lake in the Grant Public School District. This home, licensed through Bethany Christian Services for over 20 years, has operated as a group foster home for delinquent boys. Both foster parents play an active role in the lives of the boys, with the foster mother taking the lead role. Family meal times are part of the daily routine. The boys assist the foster mother with both preparation and clean-up of the meals. Games and movies are also provided during free time to enhance the positive atmosphere and experience for the boys.
Program Features
- Staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- 28-day format, with flexibility for shorter or longer stays, as needed
- Uniforms that help to easily identify runners from the program and that eliminate any chance of gang colors, competition based on clothing, or theft of clothing
- Security cameras with video recording of the main school and living area (bathroom and bedrooms excluded), that help to reduce conflicts and "inciting" behaviors
- School held on-site, administered by the Grant Public Schools' Community Education Program, with a teacher who has graduate work in education with at-risk youth
- Education programming that is coordinated with the home school
- Youth and family intake evaluation and assessment
- Individual and group counseling
- Structured routine that includes school, chores, physical activity, and free time
- Point-based level system
- Family style mealtimes
- Weekly parental visitation
- Assessment reports, with recommendations at the time of discharge
Community Service
In addition, STEP involves the youth in community service projects such as:
- Work on a new playground for the Fremont Public Schools, for which the youth recently received a certificate of appreciation
- Regular community assistance to the elderly and need at FiveCap and Newaygo County Community Services
- Repair and construction of the nature and exercise trail at Camp Henry in Newaygo
 Placement in STEP
STEP is available to Newaygo County and the surrounding rural counties. The home has six beds. For youth who cannot yet return home and who need additional program support, Bethany provides two additional beds at another licensed Bethany foster home. The youth in this second home go to STEP for school and other program services during the day. If a bed is available, placement can be made at STEP any time, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The only restrictions on placement are for youth with a high potential for violent behavior.
STEP staff reserve the right to accept or reject any referrals and to ask for the removal of a youth who does not cooperate with program services. The group home foster parents have the final say in all placement matters.
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