Community Services for Children (CSFC)
Community Services for Children was developed as a natural extension of the decades of specialized service to children provided by Grandfather Home. Several years ago it became increasingly clear that a smooth transition for children back to their local community was lacking. To bridge this gap Community Services for Children was launched with the establishment of smaller and less restrictive group homes in Asheville and Winston Salem. These two homes are surrounded by a cluster of Therapeutic and Family Foster Homes. The goal is to work with the child/adolescent team, including the family (birth, adoptive, guardian or foster family) to provide opportunities for a community based array of services to meet the unique needs on each child.
All the services provided by Community Services for Children are fully licensed by the state of North Carolina.
Community Based Group Homes
Community Services for Children provides Level II and III group care in various locations within North Carolina. For those children whose needs require the intensity of a group home setting, these programs offer a group treatment option nearer the child's own home and community. Community schools, churches, YMCA's, volunteering opportunities and numerous other community services are enlisted to provide a community based setting for children and youth. These homes also provide step down opportunities for children who may have been in a more intensive setting and who are now ready for the next step in a transition back to their communities.
Therapeutic Foster Care and Family Foster Care
Our goals for therapeutic and family foster care include:1. To further “step down” the youth toward a family environment. The staff in Community Services for Children will work with the biological family, foster family or adoptive family to maximize the success of the child throughout the transition.
2. To serve children in North Carolina who have been removed from their homes due to neglect or abuse and need a safe, secure home atmosphere provided by loving and well trained foster families.
Therapeutic foster care and family foster care provide a more normal home atmosphere appropriate to the needs of the child. Therapeutic foster care is a less intensive setting than residential treatment and group care, but more intensive than family foster care.
In North Carolina, therapeutic foster families receive at least 38 hours of pre-service training. Once licensed the family receives weekly visits from their case manager and on-going support as needed to help them through times of transition and adjustment. Other therapeutic services like counseling and academic support are coordinated according to the child’s age and emotional needs. Family foster parents receive at least 30 hours of pre-service training.
In NC a Community Services for Children Case Manager will be (at a minimum) in weekly (for therapeutic foster care) or bi-weekly (for family foster care) contact with the foster families and the youths in the home. The Case Managers and the Community Services for Children Team provide on-call responsibilities for crisis intervention and consultation 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
When it is not appropriate for a child to be returned home, families who foster may be presented with the option to adopt the children in their home. This offers a child a permanent home in which to grow, develop and receive the on-going love he or she so badly needs. This process is called "fostering-to-adopt", and both family and therapeutic families may be offered this option.
Click here to read "Three Young Boys", A moving CSFC Adoption Story.
Click here to read "Three Young Boys", A moving CSFC Adoption Story.
Referrals to CSFC Programs
Referrals can be made through the local Cluster Director, Foster Care Placement Case Manager, and or by the central admissions office at Grandfather Home for Children in Banner Elk, North Carolina. A triage team will respond to a referral; assure appropriate information is received; and respond back to the referral contact in a timely manner. Crisis situations are handled as quickly as possible. The application form that is required can be downloaded from the admissions page.
If you are interested in becoming a foster parent please download the application form here. Completed applications can then be mailed to Michelle Davison at Grandfather Home for Children, PO Box 98, Banner Elk, NC 28604. You may also fax the completed application to 828-898-6140 to the attention of Michelle. If you have any questions about becoming a foster parent, please refer to the contact numbers below.
Contact numbers for CSFC
Foster Care Referrals (and prospective foster parents)
NC -(828) 713-5062Group Home Referrals
Grandfather Home- Asheville- (828) 273-9809
Grandfather Home- Winston-Salem- Stella Lewellen (828) 260-2710
Centralized Referrals
Banner Elk Campus - Stephanie Knowles (828) 260-2710
