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TFI Family Services is a not-for-profit child care agency based in Emporia, Kansas. We are a child placing agency that has served over 3,000 children in the last year, and our 26 offices provide comprehensive coverage in Kansas and Missouri. Founded in 1965 by Maxine Johnson as a summer camp for youth in northern Lyon County, the agency evolved into a foster care home with the stated goal of "keeping brothers and sisters together". While much has changed, the mission of doing what makes sense for the children remains. Today TFI Family Services provides youth services through our foster care, family permanency, and behavioral health programs. The youth in our care come from various backgrounds and bring with them a broad scope of physical, behavioral, emotional, and special needs. They may have been abused or neglected; they may have "gotten into trouble"; or they may require placements that better support their specific needs. Whatever the reason, we firmly believe that youth can thrive with proper guidance, support and compassion. We encourage children to become responsible citizens by learning to be a member of a family and community through their experiences in our programs. All of our services combine to form a "Continuum of Care" that addresses the overall needs of the children we serve.
TFI Family Services is the contracting agency for Foster Care and Reintegration Services in Region One of Kansas. Currently, TFI Family Services has over 500 foster care providers across Kansas and Missouri. Our agency realizes its responsibility for providing quality care for the nearly 900 children in our Foster Care Programs by providing the following services: 24-hour on-call Social Worker Informative monthly newsletter and online resources Support meetings Free ongoing training Multi-media resource library Respite care Professional and consistent personal Case Manager/Social Worker Empathetic family advocates to assist with day-to-day foster care needs In-home mental health services with no waiting periods Foster/Resource parent Liability Insurance By focusing our attention on the families and working closely with other agencies, TFI Family Services has created an innovative Foster Care Program which offers new service opportunities for Kansas youth who otherwise might have little hope in finding permanency or independent living skills. When children are removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or behavioral management issues, the Family Permanency division of TFI Family Services works to help the family toward reintegration, or to direct the courts in determining other appropriate permanency plans for the child. Our licensed Permanency Workers and Family Support Workers offer a number of services, including family and residential foster care, transportation, mental health care, and any other available community service that will help to place the child in a loving, supportive home. Too often, youths leaving foster care enter the workplace with little to no experience in areas such as managing a budget, writing a resume, using public transportation, or other basic necessities of everyday life. Our Independent Living program attempts to train teenagers these skills and then offer financial and emotional support during the first few years of independence. This program includes the successful Pathways Program, which has been proven effective at reducing youth homelessness in the Kansas City and Wichita areas. Our Behavioral Health Program strives to alleviate both the psychological and emotional problems of the children in our care. Simply click on the link above to learn about available services. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, the Supervised Visitation & Exchange Center was established by TFI Family Services to provide a safe environment for children during court-ordered supervised visits and transfers between parents. Information Management Division Twenty-six offices are networked to track children in our programs and provide up-to-date records on location, Foster/Resource parents, quality assurance, licensing, caseloads, and levels of care. Ongoing upgrades are made continuously in order to stay current with the flow of information and decision-making. What Makes TFI Family Services Unique? One of TFI Family Services’ greatest strengths is our unwavering commitment to always do what is best for the child. To that end, we offer an unparalleled amount of support for the children and families in our care. From our Behavioral Health Specialists to our Social Workers, from our Family Support Workers to our Case Managers, from our dedicated board of directors to our tireless administrative staff, all of our hard work is dedicated solely to enhancing the quality of life for youth and their families. TFI Family Services also offers a number of unique support services for the children and families we serve, including: Our Foster Care Program is a 24 hour, 7-day a week program that provides support when a family needs it, not when a worker is available. A heavy emphasis is placed on properly training foster families, and training does not stop when a child is placed in the home. The focus is to meet individual family needs with the flexibility that fits their schedules. We are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children, Inc. Named "Agency of the Year" in 2000 and 2001 by Kansas Foster and Adoptive Families, Inc. We are dedicated to improving and enriching the lives of our foster children from birth well into adulthood. Our foster families are our friends, our neighbors, and our partners in raising the best children possible. TFI Family Services hosts annual community events such as the Holiday Benefit Auction in Emporia and the Tee Off for Foster Care golf tournament in Pittsburg. If you would like more information about any of TFI Family Services' services or programs, please explore our website. We would also be happy to answer any questions you might have--simply call us toll-free at 1-888-775-6111. |
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