Families & Futures for Children
For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Job 14:7
Christian Foster Care provides a family and a future for a lost or forgotten child. "Families and futures for children" means bringing light and order in place of darkness and disorder. It means Christian commitment and caring demonstrated through continued service and sacrifice when the going gets tough. Most importantly, a Christian foster family brings God's love and Christ's hope to the fallen and confused world of a child.
Children in Foster Care
Gateway Woods' foster children include infants through youth 18 years of age or older. This may include children who have been neglected, physically or sexually abused, delinquents, pregnant teens/teenage mothers, or youth in need of training in independent living skills. Children with mild or serious physical or mental handicaps or substance-affected infants may also be included.
Foster children may be delayed socially, mentally or academically because of inconsistencies in their care or for medical reasons. They may come from several previous placements including foster care, residential childcare, or some other institutional program. The child may come directly to foster care from a dysfunctional home with ineffective, neglectful, or abusive parents.
Some children may need only a brief stay in foster care; in other cases, long-term foster care is their only option. Some become available for adoption. Foster to Adopt is an option chosen by certain families coordinated through Gateway Woods' Adoption Program. We place a high emphasis on carefully matching the child's needs with the abilities and desires of the family. The decision to place a child is a mutual one between Gateway Woods and the foster family. Whenever possible, siblings are placed in the same foster home.
Types of Foster Care
Specialized Foster Care
Treatment and care for children with mental, physical or emotional disabilities, who require additional supervision and assistance. This may include medical problems.
Therapeutic Foster Care
Treatment and care for children who are seriously emotionally disturbed or who may be developmentally disabled.
Foster to Adopt
This option is often considered by foster families for certain children who are or may become adoptable. Careful coordination with Gateway Woods' Adoption Program can help make this a wonderful experience facilitated by the same case manager.
Foster Care Services We Offer
Our Foster Care Staff is committed to meeting the needs of our clients through frequent contact and visits with families and service providers. We provide a number of services which include: individualized placement agreements and service plans, quarterly progress reports, 24-hour emergency on-call service, respite care, counseling and access to mental health/other professional services, and school advocacy and placements. We also have an accredited on-grounds school, independent living services, involvement with family of origin as indicated by the child's Individualized Placement Agreement, reunification services, aftercare services, and initial and ongoing training.
Gateway Woods offers excellent financial reimbursement and a sliding fee scale for private placements.
Foster Parenting
You can help transform the lonely, pain-filled life of a young child into one of safety and happiness by sharing your love, your care and home! Our expertise and the fact that we are a Christian agency are the most commonly stated reasons why both veteran and newly licensed families choose to join the Gateway Woods team.
Gateway Woods' specialists offer our foster parents case management and support at a level that is rarely seen in this difficult field. Gateway Woods' staff is mature and experienced in child welfare, and we are committed to offering the best services to meet the child's needs, within the structure and nurturing of our foster homes.
Our Foster Parents must meet the following requirements:
- Mature Christian couple or single over 21 years old
- Personal commitment to Jesus Christ
- Resident of Indiana
- Adequate income
- Offer a stable home environment
- Love and commitment to young people
- Open to learning & growing
If you satisfy all the above requirements and feel led to be a foster parent, visit our Get Started With Family Services page.
Benefits & Rewards
Gateway Woods foster care provides a number of benefits to our clients: a Christian family and home environment, training and support based on biblical principles, experienced and committed foster families, case management and advocacy, careful matching of the child's needs to the abilities of the foster family, reality-based discipline and behavior modification, a network of Christian professional services and family support that includes our Home-Based Services, and commitment to ongoing program evaluation & improvement.
The rewards for our foster care children and parents are priceless. By creating a nurturing foster care environment, our parents share God's gifts with these children, live out Christ's call to sacrificial love, and provide them with an enriched family life. It's also a great opportunity for foster parents to experience personal, marital, and professional growth through our formal training and support.
