Levels Of Foster Care

Treatment Foster Care provides the mental health services and additional support needed to care for children with higher need levels.

All children placed in foster care in Wisconsin are assessed using the Child and Adolescent Needs & Strengths (CANS) tool. The tool is used to measure the well-being, level of functioning, status on permanence and quality of life. This tool provides our staff with information to determine the amount of care or supervision a child might need. Every child is given a Level of Need based on their CANS score. The score is used to place a child in an appropriate foster home. The child’s level of need is used in conjunction with the foster parent’s level of care certification to provide stability in placement and promote positive outcomes. Basically, a higher level of care certification means you are able to care for youth with higher need levels.

All Community Care Resources foster homes begin at a level 2. During the first two years, 36 hours of additional training is completed and parents are then certified at level 3. Although parents may start their fostering journey at a level 2, the goal should be to continue training to obtain the knowledge and licensure for levels 3 then 4. Our 30 years of experience in higher level foster care sets us apart from other Wisconsin agencies. The support we provide is essential to a successful placement.