Children deserve a safe and nurturing home. This is a birthright, it should not have to be earned. Children need an environment where they can complete the developmental tasks necessary to become healthy adults. When children have lived in families that have not been able to provide such an environment, foster care and adoption often can provide a "corrective experience" where children have their needs met and are able to get back on track in healthy development.

Children do not need perfect parents -- just one or two loving individuals willing to meet the unique challenges of parenting and make a lasting commitment to caring for their children. Almost any responsible adult can become a foster or adoptive parent. Prospective parents do not have to be rich, married, under 40, highly educated, or own their own home.

Consider the possibilities of growth and love through foster care, fostering-to-adopt, or adoption -- it might be just the right thing for you and your family.

CCHO's Foster Care & Adoption Services serves children ages 0-18 in need of out-of-home care. Of the referrals received by CCHO, only a small number are appropriate for traditional foster care. Most of these children are experiencing serious difficulties that may or may not have been the reason for placement and thus require a higher level of care.

We provide care and education to meet the emotional, spiritual, developmental and physical needs of children and their families from a Christian perspective. When reunification is possible we strive to design programs to support, strengthen, and reunite families. When not, CCHO works cooperatively with custodial agencies to achieve a permanent stable environment for the child or children involved.

The Foster-To-Adopt and Adoption programs focus on facilitating planned permanency for children through the availability of foster-to-adopt and adoptive homes. Our Department Of Foster Care & Adoption Services has certified adoption assessors on staff to provide family assessments for purposes of foster care and/or adoption.

Priority is given to stabilizing children in placement, addressing developmental delays, and coordinating needed resources to meet case-specific goals which are developed jointly with placing agencies. This requires the combined therapeutic skills and training of our foster parents, therapists, case managers and supervisors.

All foster, foster-to-adopt and adoptive parents are required to complete the mandated Agency pre-service training prior to their Foster Care Certification. These parents receive extensive pre-service and on-going training. The number of training hours required and subjects covered vary according to the level of care to be provided (see Training and Certification or Placement Information).