ABSTRACT
Specialized foster care (SFC) is an emerging concept that shows promise as an alternative service-delivery model for special-needs children. These agencies are licensed to certify and support specialized foster care homes. Unlike the majority of foster children across the country, most of the foster parents were Caucasian. Part of foster parents' dedication to the field can also be seen in the rate at which the families adopt children in their care. Although specialized foster care is one of the fastest growing segments of the foster care profession, most SFC agency administrators report challenges in locating and recruiting qualified foster parents and social work staff. Some of the specialized foster parents' positive opinions regarding their SFC agency may be related to the types of services they and the children receive from the placing agency. Although SFC parents command rather high payments in comparison to conventional foster parents, many suggested that further increases in payment would be helpful.
