about us donate calendar blog careers Aunt Bertha login YOU ARE: HOMEWHY FOSTER CARE? Foster Care Adoption Prevention Community Contact Us Latest post Rudolph Round-Up Holiday Toy Drive Posted:Thursday, September 30, 2021 We invite you to join Heartland for Children in our 17th Annual Rudolph Round-Up Holiday Toy Drive. With your help, our goal is to help make incredible holiday memories for WHY FOSTER CARE? As of October 2020, there are approximately 1275 children in out-of-home care in our circuit and 659 of these are placed in a foster or group home setting. Of these, 92 are in group care home settings. 88 of our children are placed in foster homes or group care home settings out of this circuit. Of the 92 children in group care settings, 79 of these are teens. These children need a chance to live in a traditional family setting, play sports and learn how to make plans for college or the career of their choice. For this reason, our goal is to license at least 25 more homes in order to meet the needs of teenagers in our community. We utilize a matching system which tries to match children to a family with similar likes. Since July 2019, Heartland for Children has licensed 22 new foster homes that are accepting and supporting teenagers. Foster Caregivers are the key to unlocking children’s futures and the healing agents in allowing a child to heal from the trauma they have experienced. Every child deserves to live in a traditional family setting and in order to make this a reality, we need more foster homes in all of our communities. Please assist us in sharing our current need for additional quality foster homes for teenagers and siblings in this community. There are 4 different types of foster homes: 1. Traditional - A traditional family setting until the child can be reunified. Requires 21 hours of training. 2. Medical - Foster care for children with significant medical needs. Must be licensed as a traditional home first, then will be required to complete an additional 32 hours of medical training. 3. Specialized Therapeutic - Foster care for children with significant mental health, behavioral, or emotional issues. This requires the 21 hours of traditional training and an additional 30 hours of specialized training. Stay at home parent is preferred. This is a mental health treatment program. 4. Respite - Foster care for children for a short duration (a couple days up to a week or two) if an another foster parent has an emergency. Must complete the 21 hours of training and be licensed as a traditional home. Interested in becoming a foster parent? Call (863) 519-8900 ext. 289 for more information. Stay informed with our updates: © 2013 Heartland for Children. All rights reserved. 1239 E. Main Street Bartow, Florida 33830. | (863) 519-8900 Designed by Madden Brand Agency Heartland for Children (HFC) does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices based on disability, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, or any category protected by law. HFC will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities unless doing so creates an undue hardship for the organization. Sponsored by: State of Florida Department of Children and Families