Foster Family Agency (FFA)

Unity Care Foster Family Agency (FFA) focuses on providing an array of caring and nurturing services that meet a child’s individualized needs and those of their families.

Our FFA not only benefits the children already a part of Unity Care, but also those children that have not been afforded the opportunity to blossom in an atmosphere of love, warmth and understanding. With a treatment team of professional, experienced social workers and other staff dedicated to changing the future of a child, we believe we have developed a formula for success.

We provide a host of professional services designed to offer a level of care commensurate with the needs and social development of our children. We offer foster youth opportunities to explore and expand their horizons through a variety of experiences. The children we care for receive mentoring, regular outings into the community, and contact with people in business, government, education, and the arts. We want our foster youth to have access to the world beyond the foster care system and to learn valuable life skills.

Adults' involvement in providing guidance, structure and motivation is the key to a child's success. As a Unity Care foster parent, you will be a member of a professional team, committed to providing foster children with the best possible opportunity to build a foundation of self esteem and self sufficiency.

Unity Care foster parents have access to an array of resources and services including:
• respite
• weekly one-on-one, in-home support
• broad-based training
• financial reimbursement
• medical, dental, and therapeutic coverage for the foster
children
• on-going support groups and training

It takes two to three months to become a foster parent. The basic requirements include:
* financial stability
* 21 years of age
* available bed for a child
* operable vehicle

Potential foster parents must be cleared by fingerprints and complete a 12-hour pre-certification training course. In addition, they are trained in CPR, First Aid and Water Safety.

Did you know that there us a shortage of foster homes for teenagers in Monterey County? A great number of children are in need of stable, nurturing, safe homes. They need families that can love them, guide them, and help them become productive adults.

Monterey County is in need of foster homes, especially homes for children 10-18 years of age. The children we work with tend to be at risk of incarceration, delinquency, homelessness, and dropping out of school when they leave the foster care system. However, with the opportunity to learn life skills, live in a safe and nurturing home environment, and be exposed to positive role models, these youth will discover and develop their potential to be contributing members of
society.

You could inspire a child to aspire toward discovering and developing his/her potential by joining Unity Care as a foster parent.