Foster Care Program

Finding children loving places to call home

The OLV Human Services Foster Care Program is committed to the growing need for foster care in Western New York, helping to keep children safe while navigating a very complex system. Our roots trace back to the love and care provided at the organizations founded by Father Nelson Baker over a century ago.

The need is greater than ever today. Addiction. Domestic violence. Abuse and neglect. Those are just a few of the ever-increasing causes of behavior and emotional problems in children that make long-term placements so challenging. OLV Human Services is here for the children.

Our Foster Care Program works tirelessly to provide a safe, temporary place for those children identified by the county. We identify foster families across our area who can offer a loving place for these children to call home until they can be reunited with their birth family, a relative, or until they can be adopted. Our social workers work closely with the foster families, providing training, conducting background checks and completing home evaluations. The safety of the children is always the number one concern.

Foster Care Program Highlights

  • Children in most cases are referred by county Departments of Social Services
  • Program educates, performs home studies and certifies foster families in accordance with NYS Office of Children and Family Services regulations
  • Potential foster parents participate in comprehensive, 10-week assessment and self-discovery process
  • Program is directly supervised by our Foster Care director who oversees social workers and visitation coaches
  • Extensive coordination with county case worker
  • Treatment plans developed with the input of the biological family, the child (when appropriate), the foster family and the county case manager
  • Psychological evaluations for the children and individual and family counseling available
  • Financial support for the children provided with monthly allotment from the county
  • Routine medical treatment is arranged and managed by the foster parents
  • Foster care services provided by Baker Victory until the permanency planning goal is reached
     

Emergency Foster Care

OLV Human Services provides the only emergency foster care program in Western New York. The Group Emergency Foster Care Program provides a safe, immediately available placement option in cases where removal of children from their homes is necessary for their own protection.

Our program is designed to meet the needs of all children from birth to age 18 including individual children, sibling groups, pregnant, and parenting teens.  The program provides temporary care and diagnostic services for children entering foster care on an emergency basis.

Program Highlights

  • Licensed by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)
  • Program accepts placements on a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year basis.  
  • Stays are intended to be brief, as resources for longer term placements, such as family members or foster homes, are explored and facilitated
  • Provides a safe, neutral setting while offering recreational activities and keeping the child connected to school and siblings
  • Can also serve as an emergency intervention or respite for children who are at risk of disruption in their current foster care placement
  • Trauma informed care and treatment, to address and treat the child’s trauma, while reducing and minimizing the risk for additional traumatic experiences (i.e. separation from siblings, multiple moves, etc.)
  • Operated in conjunction with the Residential Treatment Facility and the other OCFS programs at Baker Victory Services.
  • Interconnectivity of services at Baker Victory Services means children in the program have access to specialized staff, services, and support
  • Children in the program live on our new and modern Martin Road campus
  • The Moore for Kids Family Home is available for visitation
  • Family visitation may be supervised and facilitated on the campus

 

Service Highlights

  • Each child welcomed into the program has access to a variety of services at OLV Human Services
  • Diagnostic evaluations
  • Clinical and case management services
  • Recreational & social activities, as well as activities of daily living
  • Psychiatric/Psychological services coordinated and conducted, as needed
  • Medical services provided through Baker Victory nurses and a consulting licensed pediatrician
  • Educational services for children who attend schools within Erie County – transportation provided to their school of origin throughout their stay in the program.

 

For more information on the Foster Care Programs, please call 716-828-9777.

 

 

 

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