Foster Parenting

Many Maine youth are temporarily unable to live safely in the care of their birth families. The foster families that open their homes to these young people can have a profound and lifelong impact on them. Community Care is always looking for mature adults who are ready to make this commitment to children and teens, and we work diligently to help prospective foster parents navigate the licensing process.

Our leading treatment foster care program provides intensive care for young people with serious mental health challenges and their families. We work closely with the most critical people in the child’s life to pursue a safe and permanent living situation for them through reunification, kinship care, or adoption. Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services seeks to keep young people in the care of relatives whenever possible, and Community Care strongly supports kinship care. However, there are times when young people in crisis may respond better to being cared for in a structured, therapeutic home environment provided by professional foster parents. Many of our foster parents provide this care during a transitional period, after which they support the child’s transition to reunification or kinship care. In some situations, treatment foster care services are actually provided to youth in the homes of relatives or other significant adults who are working toward licensure.

Our staff works to ensure that young people receive the highest quality substitute care by working closely with clinicians, caregivers, and other service providers to coordinate comprehensive and flexible treatment plans that promote healthy behavior and supportive relationships.

If you are interested in learning more about our program, meet some of our seasoned foster families. You may also complete a request form, and we will send you more detailed information about how you can begin the process of becoming a foster parent.

If you would prefer to call and speak with our program manager, you may reach Lauren Bustard at either 207-570-7187 or 1-888-236-2273.