Frequently Asked Questions

We have a maximum capacity of 8 male and 24 female residents, and we accept referrals for children between the ages of 12-19. Gateway Woods serves children from:

• County Departments of Child Services
• Juvenile Probation Departments
• Department of Correction
• Special Education Cooperatives
• Private referrals - families, school counselors, social services, pastors, therapists and medical professionals

We treat children with problems such as:

• Oppositional/defiant behavior
• Incorrigible/status offenders
• Post traumatic stress disorder
• Depression
• Drug and alcohol related issues
• Eating disorders
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• Pre-delinquent/delinquent
• Pregnant teens or teens with babies

Our group homes are highly structured settings with more rules and expectations than most families have. We believe that each individual is responsible for his or her own thoughts, words, and actions, and we work hard with young people to help them understand and accept that responsibility.

We also believe that clear expectations and rules based on unchanging biblical principles (for example: obeying parents, respecting other people and their belongings, telling the truth, and controlling anger) help young people become responsible for themselves and their futures.

Once clear expectations and rules have been set, young people learn to grow by consistently being held accountable to those expectations. Parents are frequently consulted and involved in the goal setting and discipline process.

Reuniting families is our primary goal. Typically the problems that lead to placement are long standing, and it takes time to make lasting changes that will result in reunification. We work closely with the placing agency and family to determine a treatment plan and a schedule for reunification. Young people placed by public agencies typically have a set of standards that must be satisfied prior to discharge. We work with the family to monitor progress and set goals. This time frame can be as short as nine months or as long as two years.

No, we provide day treatment for children from public schools, courts, and other foster care and residential facilities. This service is available to private referrals on a case-by-case basis.

Our philosophy is that behavior, attitude, and academic achievement are the result of inner values and faith. We are committed to the whole child and the power of faith in Christ pervades our program and sets us apart as uniquely Christian. Gateway Woods School is intimately connected to the overall treatment strategy for our residents. In order to insure consistency and effectiveness in our treatment, we have frequent contact and interaction with Gateway Woods' residential staff. Working individually and in small groups, our teachers strive to give each student a moral and social foundation for the future.

The teaching format of Gateway Woods School is individualized instruction from certified teachers. In a state-of-the-art facility, we provide students with a variety of teaching methods and programs. These include: instruction in small classes, hands-on learning activities, technology based learning, and exercises to develop skills and reinforce concepts. Students are also required to participate in an indoor/outdoor physical education program. Through volunteering at a local retirement center and in other service activities, our students can learn by serving others and give back to the community.

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.

• Specialized Foster Care - provides 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 - provides treatment and care for children who are seriously emotionally disturbed or who may be developmentally disabled
• Foster to Adopt - for certain children who are or may become adoptable, this option is often considered by foster families. Careful coordination with Gateway Woods' Adoption Program can help make this a wonderful experience facilitated by the same case manager

Our Foster Care Staff is committed to meeting the needs of our foster children and foster parents through frequent contact and visits with families & service providers. We provide a number of services which include: individualized placement agreements & service plans, quarterly progress reports, 24-hour emergency on-call service, respite care, counseling & access to mental health & other professional services, and school advocacy & placements. We also have an accredited on-grounds school available to nearby placements, independent living services, involvement with family of origin as indicated by IPA, reunification services, aftercare services, and initial & ongoing training.

Gateway Woods offers excellent financial reimbursement and a sliding fee scale for private placements.

To become a Foster Parent, the following requirements must be met:

• You are a mature Christian couple or single over 21 years old
• You have a personal commitment to Jesus Christ
• You are a resident of Indiana
• You have adequate income
• You can offer a stable home environment
• You have a love and commitment to young people
• You are open to learning & growing

Gateway Woods provides quality and affordable adoption services for both international and domestic adoptions to persons living in central and northern Indiana. Some of our services include: personalized adoption training, home studies, matching children with families, pre and post-adoption supervision, and court reports (to birth country if international). Gateway Woods also provides legal adoption services free of charge to pregnant teenÕs and work with you to help find a stable, Christian family for your child.

Those who wish to adopt through Gateway Woods must be a mature couple or single with a personal commitment to Jesus Christ and are actively involved in a church. They must be able to provide a stable and loving home environment, with a openness to growing and learning about other countries and cultures. Lastly, they must have a deep love and commitment to children.

Domestic:

• Home study and adoption training $1,350 (Fees include 100 miles round trip)
• Post placement visit & report $150 + travel
• Final visit & court report $200 + travel
• Placement fee 12% of income (minimum charge of $6,000)

International

• Home study and adoption training $1,500 (Fees include 100 miles round trip)
• Post placement visit & report $200 + travel
• Home study updates $65/hr. + travel $650 maximum + travel
• Mileage is charged at the current IRS rate
• Criminal background checks $7.00/person

Gateway Woods Home-Based Services is a distinctively Christian program that is focused around one concept: family. Because we believe family to be the cornerstone of society, as well as the primary source of a childÕs nurturing, identity, and stability, we work intensively with families before major problems occur, while a child is in placement, and as a continuing support when the child moves home. It is our goal to help families deal with issues such as harmful attitudes, believes, priorities, and habits.

• Preventative Care - All families go through difficult times. However, certain serious situations require help from experienced family workers. In the Preventive Care phase, we work with a family before a child is removed from his/her home as a way of strengthening the family and preventing the child's removal. We embrace the opportunity to work with families who desire to remain intact and to provide solutions and support that help them accomplish this goal
• Concurrent Care - When a child has been removed from the home and placed in residential or foster care, families often continue to experience great difficulty. Working in cooperation with the residential treatment team or foster care staff and parents, we help to prepare the family for the child's return by addressing issues and concerns in the home. Home-Based Services works both at the child's home and at the residential facility or foster home to ensure continuity. A treatment plan is developed for both children and parents to prepare for the child's transition back into the home, school, and community
• Aftercare - In the time surrounding a child's discharge, the Home-Based worker meets initially with the treatment team and then with the family in their home on an on-going basis before and after the family is reunited. The focus is on providing continuity of care, solidifying gains, preventing a return to out-of-home placement, and preventing conflict and contact with law enforcement