Family-Based Care
and Youth Transition

HCS’s Division of Family-Based Care and Youth Transition has three primary areas of focus:

1. Family Strengthening & Empowerment

2. Foster Care & Adoption

3. Transitional support for youth aging out of foster care

Family Strengthening & Empowerment

Family Strengthening
HCS’s in-home parenting services use evidence-based strategies to help families gain the skills, support, and resources they need to keep their children safe and nurtured. Family preservation is always the target. Families already have the love that children need; we just provide extra tools to help children thrive.

Parent Empowerment
When children are removed from their families, HCS steps in to provide intensive services for parents to overcome the crises that caused the removal. Our Parent Partners are parents with their own lived experience regaining custody of their children out of the child welfare system. With authentic empathy and expert advocacy, our program empowers parents to regain control of their circumstances and reunify with their children.

Holy Cross - Residential Care

Foster Care & Adoption

Holy Cross - Family Healing

Foster Care
When children enter the child welfare system, families are in crisis. Foster families ensure children are safe and nurtured while the children’s families get back on their feet.

To learn more about becoming a foster parent, click the button below.

Adoption
The goal of foster care is always reunification. All of our adoptions at HCS begin first as foster care. When children can’t return to their families, HCS helps children find permanent, loving parents through adoption.

 

 

Youth Transition

Older youth leaving foster care face extraordinary life challenges. HCS is specialized in young people leaving care, and recognizes the critical importance of ensuring youth are supported during this difficult time of transition. We provide three programs for youth:

Young Adult Voluntary Foster Care (YAVFC).
Youth formerly in foster care who are now between the ages of 18-21 may be eligible for YAVFC support services funded by the State. Services include extended foster care benefits, case management, tuition assistance, and financial support. HCS administers these support services across the state.

Independent Living (IL).
Independent Living is a program designed for young people who are sixteen years old or older with an open Abuse or Neglect court case. The program supports youth to transition to a community setting. HCS provides case management and administers financial support for a young person every two weeks to provide for his or her needs. The IL Caseworker helps the young person develop goals and life skills and make positive adjustments to school and/or employment.

Independent Living Plus (ILP).
HCS’s Independent Living Plus (ILP) programs provide a safe, nurturing group home setting for youth transitioning from foster care. ILP provides intensive coaching, life skills training, and resources to help youth prepare for living independently. Youth graduate from our program into their own stable housing.

Holy Cross - Residential Care

Family Based Care Voices

 

“I’m so happy to be here. When I lost my daughter, I wasn’t healing. I was masking the pain. With the therapists and the people here, I’ve been able to get healthy.”

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Sheryl

Family-Based Care and Youth Transition

“In my time here, I’ve learned everyone has to take responsibility for their actions and deal with issues one step at a time. Before coming here, I never paid attention in school because I didn’t have control of my life. Now I take classes, and my life, seriously.”

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Robert

Family-Based Care and Youth Transition

“With every challenge I have faced in my life, I feel that it has taken part in shaping a better me. Growing up, the challenge was tackling each day, living each day. Now, I face each day seeing how it will shape my future.”

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Sam

Family-Based Care and Youth Transition

“During my time here, I have gotten a lot of support from the staff who have always been open to help me with anything. I have really grown as a person and received a lot of encouragement to set goals and work for them.””

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Alli

Family-Based Care and Youth Transition

Welcome Home

Download the Holy Cross Services brochure.

ABOUT HOLY CROSS SERVICES

HCS specializes in empowerment and trauma recovery for children and families engaged in the child welfare system and supporting our neighbors to end their episodes of homelessness. Although these areas of service have significant intersection, we operate our programs through three functional arms:

  • Division of Family-Based Care and Youth Transition
  • Division of Residential Care and Family Healing
  • Division of Housing and Community Advocacy

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Holy Cross Services is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation

EIN #38-1368326