About Us

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Foster care is a temporary living situation for children whose parents cannot take care of them and whose need for care has come to the attention of child welfare agency staff.  While in foster care, children may live with relatives, with foster families or in group facilities.  The majority of children who enter foster care return to their families.

How long children stay in foster care depends on their family situation and what options are available in their communities.  For some children, their stay in foster care is brief; for others foster care lasts one to three years or, in some cases, longer.  A key goal of foster care programs is to ensure that children are able to live in stable, lifelong families, since secure attachment to at least one parenting adult is crucial to healthy child development and well-being.

The primary goal of foster care is to provide a safe and stable environment for a child who cannot be with his or her parents for some reason.  An environment that feels like home instead of a group home or other residential facility is usually considered to the best option for a child in those circumstances.

Foster parents are people who register with the state’s child protective agency in order to officially accept a child into their home and family for a period of time, without becoming the foster child's legal parents.

Therapeutic foster care is a program specifically designed to help children with emotional, behavioral and/or medically complex challenges.  Pinnacle Family Services specializes in serving children who have experienced trauma, loss, abuse or neglect.  To support these children, we develop personalized services to help them heal and move forward with their lives.

There are far too many foster kids in need of a safe place to call home, and not nearly enough foster parents to accommodate them.

Foster families open their homes to care for one or more children for an extended period of time. Although the foster child’s residency is temporary, the foster parent’s role is a significant commitment and ultimately means that the foster parent becomes a meaningful part of a child’s life.  The foster parent role is challenging but it is often a much more rewarding opportunity for those who have the means to foster a child.

In order to be considered to become a foster parent, most agencies will expect you to:

• Be 21 years or older.
• Be able to ensure appropriate care and supervision for your foster child on a daily basis.
• Be able to care for yourself financially without the child’s stipend.
• Complete pre-service and therapeutic foster parent training, which we provide.
• Complete required background screenings including a  criminal and protective services background check, which we handle for you.
• Participate in a home inspection.
• Have a sense of humor.
• Have a home free of fire and safety hazards.
• Have a spare bedroom.
• Be flexible, patient and understanding.
• Have a form of transportation.
• Have the ability to work as a member of a team.

So you may ask what are the benefits of becoming a foster parent.  The rewards of this priviledged role include:

• A deep sense of accomplishment, that of being a parent to a child
• The chance to help children feel good about themselves
• Pride in doing a meaningful and incredibly important job
• The opportunity to endure challenging experiences
• The opportunity to meet and work with new people
• A chance to use your own special talent
• The opportunity of a lifetime to change someone's life

Many foster parents and families serve many children over many  years because they find the experience to be that meaningful and rewarding.  Many of these foster children will grow up to be  the next generation of employees, leaders and parents, and as a foster parent you can help them succeed.  If you want to be a part of helping them become productive, thriving members of our communities, and enhance your and your family’s life in the process, please call us at (919) 790-8580.

Every little bit of help helps.  You don't have to become a foster parent to support fostering.  

Protecting children and strengthening families is the responsibility of every member of the community.  Fostering and adopting a child may not be an option for you.  However, there are many ways to help a child or family in need in your community.  A few examples are listed below.

If you're in a position to do so, you can donate goods and services:

• Free haircuts, dental care, clothing or transportation.
• Free services based on your business: construction, home furnishings, family dinners at restaurants, mechanic services.
• Scholarships or free lessons for summer camp, sports teams, dance, art or music.

You can help children and their families by:

• Providing school supplies (books, pencils, book bags, paper)
• Providing jobs for older youth
• Mentoring a child

You or your organization can contribute money or donate goods:

• For scholarships, summer camps, field trips or music lessons
• For holidays, birthdays and graduations
• Other items such as car seats, high chairs, toys, luggage or clothes

You can support child care agencies and the court system by:

• Recruiting foster/adoptive parents in your community
• Hosting social events for foster/adoptive parents (picnics, parties, bowling)

On any given day there are nearly 438,000 children and youth in foster care.  Nearly 110,000 are waiting to be adopted, waiting year after year for their forever home.  For children in foster care, the government invests less than 50% of what it actually costs to raise a child.  Close to 30,000 will age out of the foster care system every year and have to be self-sufficient between the ages of 18 and 21.  Some of the sad facts about those that age out of the foster care system is that within four years:

• 70% will be on government assistance.
• 50% will be unemployed.
• 50% will experience homelessness.
• 25% will not have completed a high school education.
• Less than 12% will every earn their college degree.
• It is estimated that the associated economic burden to society for each young person we fail is about $1 million.