Catholic Charities Program Seeks Foster Parents for Children Needing Special Attention

Therapeutic Family Services Provides Help to Vulnerable Kids

NEW ORLEANS, December 9, 2021 — During the holiday season, attention often turns to cherubic-faced children whose eyes sparkle and smiles twinkle with the joys of Christmas. Those images often do not reflect children whose lives are impacted by physical, emotional or sexual abuse or whose physical or mental development is seriously challenged.

That second group of children are the ones that Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans (CCANO) supports and nurtures through its Therapeutic Family Services program. This service places children from birth through age 18 with foster parents who are specially trained to care for children who have been traumatized or with severe developmental issues.

Several foster parents who have been in the program for 15 to 20 years and are getting ready to retire and make way for new people willing to parent these kids. Averaging 12 cases at all times, Therapeutic Family Services needs people who are up for the challenge of fostering children who the courts have removed from their biological families.

"Most of these kids have had multiple placements and are not just coming into the system. We only accept children who are already in custody of the Department of Children and Family Services," says Shacidy Hadley-Bush, program director of Catholic Charities' Therapeutic Family Services. "We want to make sure people understand these cases are difficult. Most of the children have suffered some type of abuse."

There has been a recent influx of teenagers into the system. According to Hadley-Bush, that adds an extra need for the program to recruit younger foster parents who are adept at relating to teenagers.

"We need 30-somethings who know their language and what they're talking about," adds Gilda Johnson, a caseworker with the program. "There's an inherent stigma with teenagers. But mostly, these children just want to be loved. We want foster parents who will go the distance and not just do what is required."

Therapeutic foster homes are different from a regular foster home because of the children's increased emotional and physical needs. Therefore, potential foster parents undergo 36 hours of special training conducted by the Therapeutic Family Services staff. The staff also provides 24-hour support for parents who may be having issues with a child. A person must be at least 21 years old and less than 65 years old to be eligible as a therapeutic foster parent.

Hadley-Bush says people often show an interest in wanting to give back and help those who are less fortunate, but she cautions that fostering these children is a serious commitment.

Johnson, a caseworker for more than 25 years, expounds on that responsibility. "It has to be a calling from God. You need the patience of a saint, and you have to really pray about taking on this challenge. We're talking about kids' lives."

"Some of these children come into our care just because no one wants them.That's traumatic for any child to be rejected," Johnson continues.

Therapeutic Family Services works to place children from throughout Louisiana in homes within the greater New Orleans metropolitan area. Efforts are made to certify all homes for at least two children, as they try to keep sibling groups together.

Anyone interested in becoming a therapeutic foster parent can find eligibility criteria on the website https://www.ccano.org/tfs or contact Hadley-Bush at (504) 310-6939 or by email, shadley@ccano.org.