What Is Therapeutic Foster Care in Virginia? A Complete Guide for Foster Parents

In Virginia, therapeutic foster care is a particular kind of family-based arrangement for children with emotional, behavioral, developmental, physical, or medical needs that call for more than the usual level of caregiver training and support. The Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) will often refer to this as treatment foster care.

What sets it apart from regular foster care is that it is not just about giving a child a safe place to live. Under Virginia regulations, treatment foster care is a community-based program centered on the child’s permanency plan and treatment needs, with the foster parent serving as part of a structured support system.

How Therapeutic Foster Care Works in Virginia

TFC in Virginia is a blend of family care, coordinated services, and extra supervision. It begins with an assessment of what the child needs and whether a treatment foster home is the right fit. After placement, the foster parent is in regular contact with the child’s treatment team. 

By regulation, that team, which can include agency staff, other professionals, the child, and even family members, is responsible for designing and evaluating the service plan.

On a day-to-day basis, a therapeutic foster parent might be doing any number of things: providing care and oversight, keeping in touch with caseworkers, monitoring the child for changes in behavior or needs, or ensuring consistency across the home, school, and other services. 

They may also be involved in planning for the child’s future or supporting ties with the family. But the foster parent is not expected to be a therapist; rather, they work within a network of professional support.

Which Children May Need Therapeutic Foster Care?

There is no blanket rule that every foster child requires this type of care. It comes down to the individual circumstances. The DSS will look at the service record for documented therapeutic needs before designating a placement as a treatment foster home. These could be anything from a physical condition to a behavioral disorder. 

If a child has significant challenges that demand a caregiver with specialized understanding, or if extra daily supervision is warranted for stability, then therapeutic foster care is indicated.

This is why specialized foster care may be considered when a child's individual needs require additional caregiver preparation, supervision, or support.

Therapeutic vs. Regular Foster Care

While both are family-based, the preparation and support differ.

Traditional foster care provides a stable home and standard preparation for parents, along with maintenance support and a working relationship with the social services team. Therapeutic care goes further. There is additional training for the parents and a more formalized approach via a treatment team. 

You might see increased supervision and, in some cases, additional payment for assessed needs. This is not to say that one is more important than the other, but simply that the children's needs are different.

Virginia also makes a clear distinction between these homes and residential placements, in which a licensed facility provides 24-hour care for children in need of enhanced services.

What Training Do Therapeutic Foster Parents Receive?

Training is a hallmark of the therapeutic model. VDSS ensures that therapeutic foster parents have the tools to handle the special needs of the children in their care. While the specifics depend on the agency, prospective caregivers can expect to be prepared to manage difficult behaviors, understand the impact of trauma, set boundaries, and work with an individualized service plan.

Support is not limited to training sessions, however. Treatment foster parents remain in contact with agency staff throughout the placement. Some agencies like Intercept Health in Virginia tout round-the-clock support and comprehensive training for their TFC program. For Children’s Sake, for instance, points to clinical case management and crisis intervention as part of its services. Such services are at the discretion of the provider.

Who Provides Therapeutic Foster Care Services in Virginia?

Services come from local departments of social services (LDSS) and licensed child-placing agencies (LCPAs). In many instances, an LDSS will contract with an LCPA for treatment foster care. To be certified for Medicaid-reimbursed case management, an agency must be properly licensed and in good standing.

For a prospective foster parent, it is important to know which agency is overseeing the placement and what kind of support is available. An applicant should ask some questions of the agency of their choosing before agreeing to a treatment foster placement. It is important to clarify matters such as required training, caseworker support, and the types of assistance available during a crisis or after hours.

Also ask about respite and professional services, the documentation you will be expected to produce, how communication with the treatment team is handled, and the agency’s payment and reimbursement policies. Since foster care services vary from one agency to another, these details are best confirmed directly with the agency.

These agencies and professionals are also part of the broader child welfare programs that support children and families in Virginia.

Do Therapeutic Foster Parents Get Additional Payments?

There can be additional payments if the child’s needs, as assessed, fit the criteria. According to Virginia DSS, the basic maintenance payment for a therapeutic foster parent is tied to the child’s age. But where a child has behavioral, emotional, or physical personal-care needs that require more daily supervision, an extra payment may be available, provided the therapeutic need is documented in the service record.

The state uses the Virginia Enhanced Maintenance Assessment Tool (VEMAT) for this kind of evaluation. In short, there is no set payment for every caregiver; it depends on the child’s needs and Virginia's rules. Prospective caregivers would do well to inquire with their agency about the current rates, VEMAT application, and which expenses are covered separately.

What Are the Virginia Foster Care Requirements?

To be a treatment foster parent in Virginia, one must meet the standard requirements for approval plus make additional preparations. The process runs from an information session with the local department to applying through the Faster Families Highway, background checks, a mutual family assessment, and, finally, approval. Caregivers for children with specialized needs will have to undergo further training.

The agency will also assess whether the home and household are safe for the type of child in its program. These are part of the broader Virginia foster care requirements that prospective caregivers need to understand before pursuing therapeutic foster care.

How Does Therapeutic Foster Care Support Permanency?

It is a care model, not a permanent legal arrangement. The system in Virginia is built on safety and stability with the aim of permanency. Reunification with parents is the first objective when it can be done safely; otherwise, there are other options like adoption or relative placement.

Treatment foster care is meant to be a stable environment while those long-term goals are worked out. For that reason, therapeutic foster parents are to be supportive of the relationship between the child and his or her family and not under the impression that the placement is permanent.

Is Therapeutic Foster Care the Right Fit?

It demands more of a prospective caregiver in terms of preparation and involvement than traditional foster parenting does. One must be ready to:

• Put in the time for all mandated training
• Be in close contact with social workers and follow the child’s service plan
• Offer steady supervision and attend any necessary meetings
• Be the point of contact for any changes in the child’s needs
• See to it that the child’s permanency plan is followed
• Do not hesitate to call on professionals for help

The agency should make it clear what is expected of a caregiver and what support is available prior to any placement.

FAQs

What is it called in Virginia?

You will hear it referred to as treatment foster care by Virginia DSS. It is the term found in official regulations and guidance, though it is often used interchangeably with therapeutic foster care. TFC, or Treatment Foster Care, is a community-based model in which trained parents are supported by a treatment team and agency staff.

Is therapeutic foster care the same as treatment foster care?

For the most part, yes. They describe the same specialized care.

Do therapeutic foster parents receive special training?

Virginia DSS says they do, to ensure they can handle the particular needs of the children in their homes.

Do therapeutic foster parents receive more money?

Not automatically. An additional payment may be required if the assessment indicates the child needs more support and supervision.

Can a therapeutic foster parent adopt a child?

Not as a rule. The permanency plan will dictate the outcome, and reunification remains the priority when it is safe.

Who provides therapeutic foster care in Virginia?

Licensed child-placing agencies and local departments of social services. DSS has the details on who is licensed to offer these services.

Conclusion

In Virginia, this form of family-based care is for children with identified medical, developmental, emotional, or behavioral needs that call for a higher level of structure and training. We refer to it as treatment foster care.

For those considering becoming a foster parent, the distinction lies in the level of coordination and support involved. Make sure to have a conversation with your local department of social services or a licensed agency to understand the expectations and the children they serve.