While many know foster care as tending to children and teens who have been abused or neglected, foster care is also a solution for adults – particularly those with intellectual disabilities or other special needs.
When you choose to become a foster parent, you make a lifelong impact on children and adults who need a home.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, please see below for more information about:
Explore your options with Lakeview Center
Specialized Therapeutic Foster Care (Level IV License)
Becoming a Specialized Therapeutic Foster Parent means joining a compassionate community that provides love, structure and care for children with unique needs. Highly trained behavioral health team members at Lakeview Center help match interested foster parents with children based on their individual needs.
Who can be a foster parent
• 21 years of age or older
• Can be single, married or in a committed relationship
• Have sufficient income to support your household
• Complete 30 hours of free Quality Parent Training (and program-specific training)
Open your heart. Change a life.
CHIPS is a Medicaid-funded program that provides therapeutic foster care for children with emotional and behavioral challenges. This program also helps to address neurodevelopmental concerns, including autism and communication difficulties.
What to expect as a CHIPS foster parent:
• Provide a safe, nurturing home for 9 to 12 months
• Partner with a dedicated clinical team to support the child’s growth
• Weekly home visits from clinical staff
• Attend monthly meetings to discuss progress and treatment goals
• Receive specialized training, guidance and paid respite days
Support services include:
• Weekly, person-centered therapy for the child
• Weekly support for foster parents from a mental health professional to coordinate implementation of treatment strategies
• Additional monthly stipend based on the child’s level of need
• Special foster family support activities and events
• 24/7 on-call support from a mental health professional
Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Foster Care for children.
Read one foster parent’s journey
Ready to make a difference?
Contact Marie Johnson, Foster Parent Retention Coordinator
850-417-3265
[email protected]
You may picture foster care as tending to children and teens who have been abused or neglected. But foster care is also a solution for adults – particularly those with intellectual disabilities or other special needs.
What is adult foster care?
Adult foster care is a form of long-term care where adults reside in private homes and are assisted and trained to be as independent as possible. Performing their daily living skills such as bathing, dressing and medication management, with as much assistance as needed from the foster parents. Adult foster care homes also provide the residents help with doing household chores, preparing meals and attending medical appointments. Our foster homes for adults provide a family-like environment while including those served in household events and helping them participate in community events. Most of these individuals attend a day program or work during the day. The goal is to provide a home-like environment with social stimulation and daily care so that adults with disabilities can maintain some independence and autonomy over their lives.
To be designated as an adult foster home, the home setting must be licensed by the state, and the level of care provided can vary based on the needs of the person served. Learn about other ways Lakeview Center serves adults with disabilities through our Special Populations Network.
Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Adult Foster Care.
For inspiring stories of our adult foster parents:
To learn more about becoming an adult foster parent, please read our FAQs or call Lakeview Center’s Special Populations Network team at 850-495-5566.
For nearly a decade, Kenithia Brewington has opened her heart and home to children through Lakeview Center’s CHIPS (Changing Horizons through Innovative Parenting Systems) program. Her passion for fostering stems from personal experience—having been raised by her uncle for part of her childhood, Kenithia understands the feeling of being separated from a biological parent. “I […]
“I actually got tricked into becoming an adult foster parent,” Robert Gulley laughs. “A friend convinced me to come to a Lakeview Center training years ago—and I’ve been doing it ever since.” Now 76 years old and a retired Navy veteran, Robert has spent the last 15 years caring as a foster parent through Lakeview […]
Rita Grandberry’s foster care journey is nothing short of remarkable. With a history of fostering that began over 30 years ago, Rita’s passion for giving back stems from deeply personal experiences. After her 21-year-old son was tragically murdered, she turned to foster care as a way to heal and honor his memory. “Someone took a […]
