Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC)

What is MTFC?

Supported by the Department for Children, Families and Schools and Hackney Children and Young People's Service, MTFC is part of a group of Local Authorities across England who are implementing this innovative pilot programme for children.

The programme is designed to assist children aged 6-11 who are having significant difficulties in social and family relationships. Placements are offered for short periods of time (9-12 months) with a view to decreasing problem behaviours and increasing the chance of successfully returning the child to a permanent family placement.

Building skills

The programme is based on teaching children new skills – in their foster home, school and social environments. A multi-disciplinary team supports the child in each of these environments. The focus is on -

• supporting and encouraging positive behaviour
• setting clear and consistent limits
• closely supervising the child in all environments – we have specialist staff who work with the child’s school, birth family and social groups
• reducing their exposure to peers with similar problems
• responding to children’s individual needs – each child has a daily programme developed just for them

The children

This fostering programme focuses on children who -

• have behaviours which make it difficult for a relative or foster carer to manage on their own
• would benefit from a return to birth family or living with a relative, long term foster carer or adoptive family
• need intensive support to unlearn behaviours – aggression, defiance, swearing, stealing, withdrawing, truanting, bullying, sleeplessness, persistent sadness, bedwetting and running away

The team

Specialist MTFC foster carers will be supported daily by -

• clinical psychologist who develops the intervention programme for each child
• skills coaches who assist the child in social activities
• education worker who provides guidance to the child’s school, teachers and mentors
• family therapist who works with birth family to ensure contact supports the placement and who helps prepare the follow-on family

We need MTFC carers who are likely to have…

• enthusiasm for young people
• patience, commitment, resilience and a sense of humour
• willingness to be part of a professional team, taking detailed advice on behaviour management and contributing to daily review and evaluation of the children’s progress
• a desire to take on a new professional challenge
• no other children in the 6-11 age range

In return we offer MTFC carers ...

• specialist training in the MTFC model
• a clear detailed behavioural programme designed for each child which is developed by the programme supervisor – taking some of the stress associated with discipline off the foster parent
• weekly carers support group
• respite care available from other MTFC carers
• 24/7 on-call support from the MTFC team
• a substantial financial remuneration package

This fostering programme gives children a better chance of settling with a family long term (less chance of being moved to residential care) and there is a better retention of foster carers because they feel supported to do a difficult task. We are recruiting foster carers now for placements beginning in April 2009. If you feel you could be a MTFC foster carer than we’d like to hear from you.

How to find out more

For more information or to register your interest see the contact details on the right.

mtfc-prospective-carers-leaflet.pdf

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Page updated: 19 Dec 2008