Other Ways to Help
Online Professional Parent Application
Whether or not you are interested or able to become a professional parent right now, there are many other ways you can help. Below are some things you can do to help change a life. If it is through your business, organization, or other community group, we will find ways to share how you are helping us help kids!
Let Others Know!
Most people become interested in being professional parents by hearing about it from others. Please let people in your family, work, neighborhood and other connections know about this!
Respite and Transitional Professional Parenting.
If you are not able to give a child an on-going home right now you can still be a professional parent. Some professional parents just take kids for short periods of time (generally a day or two, up to a few weeks). This is a very flexible option. In this option it is completely in your control when or if you agree to have a kid come and stay with you. Generally these are kids that are living with other professional parents or transition from other settings and just need somewhere to stay for a day or two. You can also choose to be an "on-call" family—a family who commits to a week a month or certain days of the month to be available for a kid who needs an urgent placement. With this option you will receive significantly higher compensation on the days that a child actually needs to stay with you.
Host Home
A host home is a professional parent home for an adult with disabilities. Host homes can look very different depending on the needs of the person. In some cases the person in the home may need the kind of support you would provide to a kid. In other cases it might be more like a roommate or downstairs apartment, where the person with disabilities just needs periodic help during the week. In this model professional parents receive similar supports to regular professional parenting. The requirements for host homes are also similar, with a little more flexibility.
Direct Support Staff and Support Services.
CTA is always looking for people to work in the programs and services that provide support to kids and families. These include after-school programs, summer programs, evening shifts, weekend support, clinical services, hourly on-call work and other types of services. There are many options to choose from, but all involve helping kids in a mentor-type relationship within structured programs, or in some cases even from your own home.
Be a Community Partner.
Allow us to share information about kids in need and about how people can help within your business or network. If you are willing to share information through your email mailing list, post a poster or put a flier at your site, invite us to come talk to your employees, etc. we will find ways to let people know how your business or organization is helping us help kids.
Find Ways to Share Your Connections and Life.
Kids in foster care need connections, and we need help creating them. They need positive, productive things to do where they feel they are a part of something and contribute in some way. They need people who will give them opportunities to volunteer at their job to learn skills and explore interests. They need people who are willing to involve them in community groups or recreational opportunities. If you are willing to open your connections, hobbies, or work life to a kid in need, please let us know. You never know how you might help a kid prepare for their future or develop their identity.
Natural Support and Permanency Pacts.
Kids in foster care need positive influences who will believe in them and be a resource to them now and in the future. Even if you don't have anything particular you feel you can contribute (hobbies, job, etc.), you can still be someone who cares. Research shows that one of the most important things for kids who directly leave foster care as adults is to have someone that has made a commitment just to be a resource—someone who cares and who they can call if they have a question or a problem or just need someone to talk to. Unfortunately, many, many kids do not end up having even this basic help when they move out on their own. This is a great way to change a life.
Be a Resource in Our Network.
We are always looking for more options for services for kids. If you provide a service, if you are a medical or mental health professional, or if you have some other resource to share, please contact us to get involved.
Donations.
There are many things that we can use to help us help kids. From financial donations and supplies for the kids themselves, to landscaping, materials, and equipment and supplies for our program sites.
If you are interested in helping, or just want more information, please submit an application here, or contact us at 801-268-4887, toll free at 1-888-268-4887, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .