Children of all ages are at risk of abuse and neglect and as a result enter foster care. For teens this is an especially troubling time as there is often not enough foster families to care for them and provide them with the safety, guidance and nurturing needed during this critical time in their lives. Frequently teens are placed in group care rather than with a family.
Teens crave and need to feel normal, and contrary to popular belief, desire the safety and comfort they get from being a part of a family. Hillsborough Kids needs families to foster teens, to protect them during this vulnerable and frightening time in their lives, to support and accept them and help them to grow as individuals and prepare for adulthood while they are in care.
Hillsborough Kids recognizes that these foster families may also need support to ensure that the teens enjoy a normal adolescence and provides additional support and planning through the Teen Wrap program. Foster families participating in the Teen Wrap program participate in regular planning with the teen and the teens care team to develop plans for normalcy including budgeting and additional funding to support these activities.