Topic: Behavioral Problems, Foster Care, Parenting, Antisocial Behavior
Target Population: Adolescents, Families
Sector: Community-Based
This program is for adolescents who are 12 to 18 years old and who need to be placed in foster care due to misconduct, emotional, and/or behavioral issues and their families.
Treatment Foster Care Oregon - Adolescents (TFCO-A), formerly known as Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care - Adolescents, is a community-based foster care program that is designed to help youth develop life skills that allow them to thrive in a family setting and provide parents or caregivers with adequate parenting skills that can help promote long-term success for the adolescent and the family.
Results from multiple internal and external randomized controlled trials examining TFCO-A demonstrate that youth placed in TFCO-A compared to youth placed in treatment as usual (TAU) were less likely to engage in delinquent or criminal activities, to run away from their placements, or to be placed in a locked facility. They experienced higher reunification rates with relatives, greater reductions in externalizing behaviors, and fewer days in locked facilities. In general, these effects were maintained at least 2 years after participants started the program. Results from a 10-year follow-up indicated that TFCO-A was associated with significantly lower cumulative criminal offense charges, compared to TAU.
Typically, youth are referred to the TFCO-A program by mental health, juvenile court, or child welfare professionals after other treatment options have not worked. In this program, youth are placed with trained and supervised foster parents and are immersed in a supportive and structured environment. Program components emphasized during and after placement include the following:
The program consists of a team of the following professionals:
Since its development in 1983, TFCO-A has been implemented throughout the United States, Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands, and United Kingdom.
Prior to implementation, TFC Consultants, Inc., visits the agency site to bring stakeholders to an understanding of the model and implementation procedures. A plan and timeline are developed for training program staff; recruiting, training, and certifying foster parents; and determining placement of children in foster homes. Agency staff attend a 4-day training (5-day training for program supervisors) in Eugene, Oregon. Initial training cost for the 3-year certification process is $87,250 plus travel costs, which are approximately $29,200 for the 3-year training period. Please use details in the Contact section for more information.
Considerations for implementing this program include understanding the program is time and resource-intensive and involves communication and cooperation among the foster parent(s), aftercare family, and children in the treatment plan; receiving staff and foster parents’ buy-in; realizing staff must meet certain professional requirements; and acquiring funds for training and implementation.
The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
If you are interested in implementing TFCO-A, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Adolescents typically receive services for 6 to 9 months.
Costs will vary depending on a variety of factors, such as salaries for professionals and general staff members and foster parent compensation. In most instances in the United States, total program and implementation costs range from $200 to $225 a day per child.
The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu
Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu
You may also contact Treatment Foster Care Oregon by mail 12 Shelton McMurphy Blvd., Eugene, OR 97401, phone 1-541-343-2388, or visit https://www.tfcoregon.com/contact-us
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