The Heart Matters Foster Family Agency is a Non-Profit organization, which opened in September of 2016. We have grown to serve over 300 foster youth each year with the assistance of our wonderful and highly skilled resource parents and staff.
The Heart Matters is highly dedicated to serving the physical, emotional, educational and mental health needs of children by providing quality Foster Care. Our foster children have been removed from their homes because they are innocent victims of abuse and neglect. These children need all of the support possible from those willing to make a difference in their lives. We currently serve foster children that range in age from newborn to 21 years of age, and all genders. Our resource family homes provide these children with the opportunity to live in healthy environments until family reunification can be established. Fostering youth is tremendously challenging work that can stretch emotional, physical and financial resources.
To assist in the challenges of foster care, from both the resource parent and foster child perspectives, our agency has implemented many programs. Our Specialized Health Care Program has allowed us to assist youth with autism, asthma, diabetes, mental health challenges, and other medical needs. We have established an Emergency Clothing Closet to provide incoming foster youth with adequate clothing because so many enter care with little to no clothing, ripped clothing, or clothing of the wrong size. Our Intensive Service Foster Care (ISFC) Program assists with youth stepping down from a higher level of care, widening our range of assistance to youth who need these specialized homes. To help with the financial burden when becoming a certified resource parent, we implemented our C.A.R.E. (Creating Avenues & Raising Expectations) Program, which has allowed us to assist in the cost of Livescan (fingerprinting) services, CPR Certification, securing of beds and bedding for foster youth, and home disaster kits.
In the summer of 2019, we were able to launch a pilot sports/tutoring program to assist our youth with their physical, mental, and educational health. The pilot gave 7 of our foster youth the ability to help us build a more sufficient, year round program and to see the effects sports and tutoring had on their lives outside of the arena. Many of our youth learned not only life skills, but life lessons, discipline, camaraderie, and structure during this program.
The Heart Matters strives to impact the life of every youth we serve, and leave a positive and enduring effect on their lives. We witness the effects of the trauma our youth have endured every day and want them to leave our agency knowing they are strong, worthy, intelligent children.
