This past August, Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families received a license from the State of California to begin two new short term residential treatment programs for foster youth. These programs, meant to provide children and teens with the help that they need while facilitating a quick transition into finding a permanent family home, is one part of a statewide Foster Care reform effort.
For many children and teens in the foster system, being placed in a group home can mean going years without living in a family environment, many times only because there is nowhere to place them. The state of California is looking to reform the system so that foster children and teens can access residential treatment without being stuck in a group home for years at a time with short term programs that are geared toward finding homes for the foster youth while providing treatment. Casa Pacifica is the first agency in Southern California, and one of the first in the state, now licensed to carry out these new programs.
There will be two distinct programs at Casa Pacifica in Camarillo. The shorter of the two will allow for up to 25 kids to stay for 45 days at Casa Pacifica, with staff members and local social workers providing the children and teens with treatment and assessments that will allow them to be placed into family-based care.
The other program will be longer, offered for children and teens who will need up to six months to be moved into family-based care. Both programs have the end goal of getting foster kids into a family environment as soon as possible, rather than seeing them stuck in group homes for longer than is healthy for them.
Read more about Casa Pacifica’s new programs as well as the statewide reform effort.
At Casa Pacifica, we are dedicated to providing hope and healing to vulnerable Ventura County youth. If you believe that your child or teen is in need of therapeutic intervention, or if you would like to see what you can do to help, visit us today for more information at: https://www.casapacifica.org.