March 2, 2010
Media Contacts:
Jennibeth Brackett, Communications Director: jbrackett@mhfc.org
Melissa Nordan, Communications Specialist: mnordan@mhfc.org
MHC Recruiting Therapeutic Foster parents in Dare County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Raleigh, NC-As if growing up isn’t hard enough these days, last year over 12,000 children in North Carolina were substantiated victims of child abuse and neglect. Making their lives harder still, many of these children also struggle with such mental health problems as post-traumatic stress disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactive disorder, episodic depression and other physical challenges.
While the child welfare system’s regular foster care and group homes are not set up to handle the intensive mental health needs of these children, a specialized program known as therapeutic foster care offers hope. Therapeutic foster parents are trained and licensed to care for children who need more than what the typical foster parent is trained to handle.
Methodist Home for Children (MHC), a statewide nonprofit which has been caring for children since 1899, has been training and supporting therapeutic foster parents to care for high-need children in central and eastern North Carolina and is now looking to serve communities in Dare County.
“For years, Methodist Home for Children has been providing ongoing support to children and families throughout North Carolina, through both traditional and therapeutic foster care,” said Erica Carbonara, MHC foster care coordinator. “We are looking forward to expanding our reach into Dare County.”
According to Carbonara, there is a great need for therapeutic foster parents who can provide supportive and structured environments for children with special mental health needs.
“We are looking for adults who are loving, flexible and nurturing. We train and work with our foster parents to design individual treatment strategies for each child in our care, and we are confident that we can help these young people cope with any challenge they may face,” Carbonara said.
For more information on becoming a therapeutic or emergency therapeutic foster parent, please call 1.888.305.4321, ext. 6.
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Methodist Home for Children has been nurturing children, youth, and families for more than 100 years. Our nonprofit agency serves all children and families regardless of religion, race, or economic status. We provide community-based residential youth homes, foster care, adoption services, substance abuse services, family-based counseling, and childcare. MHC is active in communities throughout North Carolina.