United Family and Children's Society
A Member of the Community for 143 Years! United Family & Children's Society is a direct descendent of the first private organized efforts to help needy people in the Plainfield, NJ area in 1877. The Plainfield Relief Society was established with the philosophy "that the best charity was to aid and teach the destitute to help themselves." In 1893, the Organized Aid Association was formed with similar goals and was followed by the Charity Organization Society in 1907. In 1941, these pioneering agencies and The United Catholic Aid Society and the United Hebrew Charity Organization were merged into one group to form what is now known as United Family & Children's Society.
Today the focus is on mental health services, adoption, foster care and/including services for 175 de-institutionalized adults in a Plainfield residential healthcare facility. The agency is licensed by the NJ Department of Human Services for adoption and mental health outpatient services. The agency is a field location for local clinical degree graduate programs. Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work, and the graduate schools of social work at Columbia University, Fordham University, Seton Hall University, and Kean University have all been represented by clinical interns at United Family.
Services and information
- Adoption
Requirements to become a foster parent
New Jersey offers excellent support and services for foster parents in the state. Let's take a closer look at what's offered.
Foster Parent Training
To become a foster parent in New Jersey, you are required to attend PRIDE training. There are three major components to the training including pre-service training, core training, and advanced and specialized training. Within the three components, you will learn skills in five essential competency categories:
- Nurturing and protecting children
- Meeting the developmental needs and addressing developmental delays of children
- Supporting the relationships between families and children
- Making safe and nurturing family connections that will last a lifetime
- Working as a member of a professional team
All licensed foster parents will also have access to many additional workshops, both in-person and online. This may be through e-Learning, webinars, home correspondence courses, or support groups and meetings.
Parent Support
Foster parents receive a monthly payment starting at $716, a clothing allowance, and health care coverage for the child in their care. The amount you receive varies, depending on the child's age and specific needs.
You may also be eligible for:
- Childcare services while working or attending foster parent training
- Special needs transportation reimbursement
- Infant care items
- Essential safety gear such as car seats and bicycle helmets
- Flexible funds for child's special needs
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