Amount Requested: $350,000
KidsPeace requests one-time start-up funding to establish a therapeutic foster care program in the Ithaca area.  The program will address a critical triplicate need: (1) providing community-based placement to children involved with or at risk for involvement with the juvenile justice system; (2) addressing the mental health needs of children in the social service system; and (3) providing safe and supportive homes to children. 

The unique building blocks of the KidsPeace Therapeutic Foster Care program distinguish it from other programs in the foster care field: • Children have suffered or are experiencing crisis and are in need of safe and supportive homes • Children have psychiatric diagnoses, but are appropriate to live in community settings and attend local school districts • Children display exceptional emotional and behavioral needs, requiring more intensive and individualized care • KidsPeace foster families are specially trained, certified, and supported to care for children with severe emotional and behavioral challenges • KidsPeace staff carry a case load of eight or fewer foster children, allowing a minimum of weekly visits to the foster home and 24-hour, seven-day-a-week support • KidsPeace foster families generally care for no more than two foster children in a home at a time.

The project will keep children in the Ithaca foster care system who are experiencing crisis close to home as they are cared for in a safe and supportive family-based environment.  Based on current demographics in similar KidsPeace therapeutic foster care programs in various areas of the country, the program is expected to serve an estimated 50 children and 120 community members (including biological and foster family members) each year.  The program will staff approximately 12 professionals once fully developed. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice has identified the most successful mental health programs as those that treat juvenile offenders within families and local communities, specifically because they reduce recidivism up to 80%, using preventative measures to avoid repeat offenders and increasing public safety.  Furthermore, according to the Task Force on Community Preventive Services, appointed by the Centers for Disease Control, therapeutic foster care has been shown to reduce violent crimes among adolescents ages 12 to 18 with a history of chronic delinquency an average of 70%. Therapeutic foster care is not only an effective and healthy alternative placement for youth, but it is cost-effective as well.  In fact, for every dollar spent on therapeutic foster care, an estimated $14 is saved in court and corrections system costs.  Therefore, a one-time investment of $350,000 can potentially save the federal government and the state of New York nearly $5 million.