Wisconsin foster children have a variety of needs due to trauma developed from neglect and/or abuse. Emotions, behaviors, developmental delays, attachment struggles, and more often result from trauma. CCR utilizes an assessment tool known as CANS, the Child and Adolescent Needs & Strengths.
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 where healing can happen. The child’s level of need is used in conjunction with the foster parent’s level of licensing to provide stability in placement and promote positive outcomes.
The CANS tool is used to measure the well-being and needs of foster children so agencies like CCR can place children in the best possible home where stability and structure are developed and healing begins. This tool provides our staff with much-needed information to determine the additional resources and support both foster parents and foster children may need.
A higher level of care license means you are able to care for kids with higher need levels. New CCR foster parents begin fostering at the "basic" level of care, level 2. (unless you are transferring or have previous foster care experience) With time, experience, and additional training foster parents may choose to care for children with higher-level needs moving up to level 3 or 4.
During the first two years of fostering, additional training is offered to obtain the knowledge and licensure for foster parents to move to higher levels of care if they wish. There will never be pressure applied to care for kids with higher-level needs. However, many of our foster parents move up a level We know our foster parents need to feel supported and receive additional services to help children with trauma histories. Our 30+ years of experience in higher-level foster care means we have the expertise to provide outstanding support services not found in most counties and other private foster agencies.
