Treatment Foster Care

The CHOSEN program provides family-based Treatment Foster Care (TFC) for children and youth who have been removed from their homes by a local Department of Social Services (DSS). Due to childhood trauma they require more than the basic care, support, love and nurturing that regular foster care provides. 

Our approach is based on the principles of Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI), which is an attachment-based, trauma informed intervention designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI is centered on the work of Dr. Karyn Purvis and David Cross.  We use this approach in working with children and parents.

CHOSEN staff trains and provides weekly in-home support to therapeutic foster parents so they can provide care that helps the youth heal from trauma and teaches new coping skills. We help families by providing crisis intervention when the children display difficult to manage or potentially harmful behaviors.  

We also support young adults aging out of foster care through Independent Living classes and help with goal setting.  The hopeful outcome is that the children remain stable in their foster family and eventually meet their permanency goal (e.g., reunification, adoption, independent living). 

Have you ever thought about becoming a foster parent?

We are always looking for compassionate, responsible adults to become certified parents! If you have questions or would like to learn more, get in touch. We would love to talk with you!

Contact Us

Building Families for Children is a TBRI® Educator.

TBRI® is an attachment-based, trauma-informed intervention that is designed to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. TBRI® uses Empowering Principles to address physical needs, Connecting Principles for attachment needs, and Correcting Principles to disarm fear-based behaviors. While the intervention is based on years of attachment, sensory processing, and neuroscience research, the heartbeat of TBRI® is connection. Learn More

Why do we use TBRI®? 

I have been working with traumatized children for 16 years and specialized in attachment for the past 12 years as well. In my experience, TBRI® has the approach that is most helpful (and efficient) way to get kids who have been knocked off track developmentally due to life circumstances, back on track. It is the only intervention I have come across that really looks at the functioning of the whole child and tailors and approach to the unique needs of that child. It works!

Kate Oliver, LCSW-C, Training Coordiantor, Building Families for Children

What is TBRI®? 

Learn more at www.child.tcu.edu/about-us/tbri/

We decided to become foster parents because…

We have a heart for children and wanted to help by opening our home and our lives for them. We continue to foster because it is all about rescue. We actually get to reach in and help change the destiny of children in need. We get to picture on a small level the way God has rescued us in our own desperate need.

Kevin, Foster Parent, 4 Years

What I find rewarding about foster care is…

Seeing the growth of the child after you start to bond with them and they trust you. It’s also rewarding to see them set goals and achieve them.

Danette, Foster Parent, 8 Years

One of my favorite stories from helping a foster child is…

T. was failing his senior year of high school by the time he was placed with me. He worked hard to turn his grades around and was able to graduate high school. Since then he has gone on to become a certified Nursing Assistant, certified Med Tech, and Phlebotomist. He will start EMT training this spring.

Bradley, Foster Parent, 5 Years

What I find rewarding about foster care is…

Being a part of the child’s success.

Carolyn, Foster Parent, 2 Years

What I like about working with Building Families for Children is…

The support from the staff is great. I love the foster parents I have met through the agency, they are very warm and loving people.

Regina, Foster Parent, 3 Years

What I like about working with Building Families for Children is…

Navigating the foster care system can quickly become a disorienting maze. I cannot imagine doing it alone. Building Families for Children is a guide for us that makes our task easier. It allows us to better meet the needs of the children we serve.

Karen, Foster Parent, 4 Years

Q: What is Treatment Foster Care (TFC)?
A: Treatment Foster Care (TFC) is one of the State of Maryland’s many approaches to addressing the problems of child abuse and neglect. TFC is a level of care reserved for children who have been removed from their biological families by one of Maryland’s Departments of Social Service. It is distinct from what one might call “regular” foster care in that the children assigned to TFC demonstrate significant emotional, psychological, behavioral, and/or health challenges. Success in TFC depends on a partnership among the biological family, the referring agency, the professional social workers in the TFC program, the treatment foster parents, and the foster child.
Q: What kinds of kids do you serve in CHOSEN?
A: CHOSEN kids are referred by a local Department of Social Services (DSS) within the State of Maryland, with most referrals coming from Baltimore and Prince George’s counties in FY13.
Q: What are the ages of children served?
A: The children range in age from birth to 21 years old. However, the average age child currently being referred is between 12 and 18.
Q: Do we get to choose the age, race or gender of the child placed with us?
A: Yes. We will discuss your preferences during the interview and home study. Treatment parents can always say “no” to a placement about which they feel uncomfortable. Please know that we take your family dynamics very seriously and would only place a child in your home that we feel is a good match. There may be times we ask you to consider a child outside of your preferred age/race/gender and ask that you be open in those cases to consider why we might have thought of you as a good match for this child.
Q: What kinds of behavioral or emotional problems do the children have- are they all abused or neglected?
A: Our children have been abused, neglected or have suffered some traumatic experience in their lives. The type of behavioral or emotional problems differ for each child. They can include running away, substance use, aggression, developmental delays, educational deficits, sexually inappropriate behavior, depression, etc.
Q: What kind of support do foster parents receive?
A: CHOSEN parents receive extensive initial and ongoing training, supervision and support in the form of weekly home visits, 24 hour crisis intervention, and respite care. CHOSEN parents also receive financial compensation.
Q: Do all couples have to be married to become foster parents?
A: Yes, Building Families certifies couples who are legally married for at least 1 year.
Q: Can single people become CHOSEN foster parents?
A: Yes. We do ask all potential single parents to select a Secondary Treatment Parent (STP). This is a person who will help them when support is needed. A neighbor, friend or relative can be your STP. The STP must meet the same criteria that a primary parent meets.
Q: What if I just want to be a respite (PART-TIME) parent or if I'm not sure I want to follow through with becoming an approved parent…can I still attend the class?
A: Yes, we are always in need of respite parents. We encourage people to attend our training because we know the skills we teach work, whether you decide to become a treatment parent or not. We like to emphasize that your commitment to us as well as our commitment to you is only tentative during the training and the home study process because it needs to be a thoroughly investigated decision on both our parts.
Q: Do I need to have a car?
A: Yes. CHOSEN parents are required to have transportation.
Q: What if I work outside the home?
A: That is okay. CHOSEN parents are required to be economically stable outside of the financial compensation paid to them by our agency. You would be asked to locate safe and stable alternate care, supervision after school and at other times work would not allow you to provide it.
Q: Do I have to be employed?
A: No. CHOSEN parents are required to be economically stable outside of the financial compensation paid to them by our agency. So, you do not have to have a job but you must have a permanent and sufficient source of income (i.e. retirement benefits, disability income, etc.). Unemployment is not a permanent source of income.
Q: Does the CHOSEN child need to have their own room?
A: No, but you need to have adequate space for the CHOSEN child. One child can stay in a room that is 80 square feet and two children can share a room that is 120 square feet or larger.
Q: How many foster children can I care for?
A: There are many demands placed on your time and energy. For that reason, we prefer to only place one child (in special circumstances two youth) per home. There are exceptions especially for sibling sets.

Foster Parent Inquiry

If you are interested in determining your eligibility, please fill out this form and we will be in contact with you. You must live in Maryland to be certified with our agency.
  • PLEASE NOTE: We are located in Maryland. You must live in the area to become a certified parent with our agency.
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