Foster Plus is an effort of 11 nonprofit social service agencies collaborating to connect kids in need with the support and stability of committed, caring foster families. We partner to raise awareness for the growing need for foster care in Oregon and provide foster families with the training and resources they need to make a lasting difference in a child’s life.
In this post, we want to introduce you to each of our amazing partner agencies. They’re located throughout Oregon, serving our state’s diverse regions and populations. Read on to learn more about the unique programs offered by our partner agencies and the communities they serve.
Boys & Girls Aid
Boys & Girls Aid was initially founded in 1885 to respond to the crisis of children being abandoned on the streets of Portland with nowhere to go. Today, more than 135 years later, they are tackling a new crisis: the growing needs and number of children in Oregon’s foster care system.
Boys & Girls Aid’s mission is to end the cycle of foster care and ensure every child in foster care grows up in a family who knows their history and is invested in their future. They accomplish this mission by offering innovative and supportive foster care programs, as well as programs for youth like their Safe Place shelter, a 24/7 drop-in program where youth can access essential services while longer-term housing is found.
To learn more about Boys & Girls Aid, visit: boysandgirlsaid.org
Connections365
Founded in 1989 and based in Salem, Connections365 is a faith-based agency that serves clients from all walks of life and is committed to non-discrimination. They provide services to youth through four essential programs: therapeutic foster care, mentoring, residential services, and mental health counseling.
Connections365 is committed to community integration, partnering with families, schools, caseworkers, churches, and other community members and agencies. They emphasize age-appropriate personal accountability for youth and encourage all youth to develop their talents and make positive contributions to society.
To learn more about Connections365, visit: connections365.org
Family Solutions
Family Solutions represents the combination of two formerly independent agencies: Southern Oregon Child Study & Treatment Center (SOCSTC), founded in 1972, and Family Friends, founded in 1984. Today, they offer various mental health services for children and families, including community treatment, psychiatric day treatment, and school-based counseling.
A person-centered philosophy is at the core of Family Solutions’ work. This means the people they serve take an active role in their treatment. They recognize the individuality of each person served and strive to customize services and supports to best meet their unique needs, traits, culture, and preferences.
To learn more about Family Solutions, visit: familysolutionsoregon.org
GOBHI
Greater Oregon Behavioral Health, Inc. (GOBHI) is a nonprofit corporation serving rural Oregonians with a behavioral health and social services network that empowers individuals and communities to achieve better health. Founded in 1994, they are tasked with administering the behavioral health Medicaid benefit, non-emergent medical transportation and community engagement in 12 rural and frontier counties in Oregon.
Their foster care program sprang from seeing the need for safe places for foster youth to land throughout the state. Through advocacy, intervention, and training certified foster parents, GOBHI seeks to interrupt generational trauma, build healthy communities, and develop stable, connected children and families.
To learn more about GOBHI, visit: gobhi.org
Kairos
Since 1977, Kairos has collaborated with young people, families, and communities across Oregon to provide intensive mental health services and instill hope. Their Treatment Foster Care (TFC) program provides intensive treatment services for children and youth with serious emotional and/or behavioral challenges.
Kairos recruits, selects, and trains treatment foster parents (TFPs) from the local community. These TFPs join with teams of Kairos professionals, family members, and additional community supports to create and implement an individualized service plan for youth placed in their homes. This level of care serves youth ages 4 to 18 years old who are facing issues like abuse, neglect, extreme poverty or houselessness, interaction with the juvenile justice system, and living with learning disabilities or cognitive impairments.
To learn more about Kairos, visit: kairosnw.org
Maple Star Oregon
Maple Star is a private nonprofit agency that has focuses on transforming the lives of children, youth, and families impacted by trauma. For over 20 years, they have utilized a therapeutic foster family program which provides children with an opportunity to live in the least restrictive setting possible while learning skills that will enable them to be successful in the future.
During placement, Maple Star helps youth address lagging skills and behavioral concerns that may be a barrier to their post-placement success. The therapeutic and skill-building interventions that youth receive in placement provide them with a foundation for continuation of self-development long after services are discontinued.
To learn more about Maple Star Oregon, visit: maplestaror.org
Morrison Child & Family Services
Morrison provides mental health and substance use recovery services for approximately 7,000 youth and families annually throughout Oregon, especially in the Portland metro area. They are committed to achieving equitable, culturally responsive, and sustainable practices in each of their programs.
Working with youth who come from diverse backgrounds and have a wide range of needs, Morrison provides foster care homes that are integrated with treatment services and programs offered by Morrison and other community providers. Their foster homes offer positive role models and experiences for youth, and their programs operate year-round, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
To learn more about Morrison Child & Family Services, visit: morrisonkids.org
The Next Door
With more than four decades of experience, The Next Door changes lives and builds communities in the Columbia Gorge through mental health counseling, equity and outreach training, and foster care programs. They also support Spanish-speaking communities in the region with economic development services, health promotion services, and other family services.
The Next Door’s foster care programs utilize Therapeutic Foster Care, a higher level of foster care serving children and teens (ages 6-18) who have emotional, behavioral, and/or medical needs. Most of their youth have been abused or neglected and function developmentally younger than their biological age. Through trauma-informed care, these youth can heal, grow, and develop with the support from a caring foster parent.
To learn more about The Next Door, visit: nextdoorinc.org
Oregon Community Programs
Oregon Community Programs is a private nonprofit agency that has provided research-based treatment and prevention services and programs to children, youth, and families since 1983. They provide a range of evidence-based behavioral health and rehabilitation interventions, including Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) and Keeping Foster and Kinship Families Supported (KEEP).
Oregon Community Programs takes extra time and care to make sure the decision to foster is right for everyone involved. Their thorough certification process includes Treatment Foster Care training/orientation, as well as weekly foster parent support meetings. They welcome foster parent applicants of every race and ethnicity, culture, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, and age who meet their certification criteria.
To learn more about Oregon Community Programs, visit: oregoncommunityprograms.org
Youth Progress
Youth Progress is a diverse and inclusive community of staff and foster parents who provide young people with safe and stable housing and opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed. They offer culturally responsive, trauma-informed, engagement-based, and youth-centered programs and services.
Families and More Connect (FAMConnect) is the foundation of their foster care programs, focusing on recruitment, certification, training, and support for their community of Therapeutic Foster Parents. This training ensures that foster parents are never alone in their journey and it supports the psychosocial and emotional development and success of their young people.
To learn more about Youth Progress, visit: youthprogress.org
Youth Unlimited
With deep ties and experience in serving Oregon’s most marginalized communities, Youth Unlimited’s mission is to provide unwavering support and compassion to every youth in need, ensuring their safety, stability, and well-being. They do this by placing youth in loving and accountable foster homes with a strong emphasis on celebrating and providing culturally supportive care and services.
Youth Unlimited works to place youth in their certified Behavioral Rehabilitation Services (BRS) treatment foster care homes and provide them with case management and 24/7 crisis support services. They also use a Collaborative Problem Solving approach to support youth with challenging behavior and the foster parents who care for them. This helps adults shift to a more compassionate mindset and work with the youth to build the skills they need to thrive.
To learn more about Youth Unlimited, visit: yuioregon.net
Learn More About Becoming a Foster Parent in Oregon
We are so grateful for each of our partner agencies and the unique ways they serve foster youth and families throughout Oregon. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent in Oregon but you’re not sure about next steps, reach out to us! We’d love to talk with you and help get you connected with a local agency in your area.
