Func­tion­al Fam­i­ly Ther­a­py in Fos­ter Care February 25, 2026

Fos­ter care is a tem­po­rary liv­ing sit­u­a­tion for chil­dren whose par­ents can­not take care of them. The U.S. fos­ter sys­tem, which served more than 360,000 kids in 2023, is designed to pro­vide imme­di­ate safe­ty, care and sup­port for chil­dren and youth who have been removed from their homes.

The Func­tion­al Fam­i­ly Ther­a­py mod­el is asso­ci­at­ed with increased place­ment sta­bil­i­ty and safe envi­ron­ments for chil­dren and fos­ter fam­i­lies, research sug­gests. It can also lead to cost sav­ings for sys­tem leaders.

Dur­ing this webi­nar, fos­ter care lead­ers and behav­ioral health providers will explore efforts in Con­necti­cut and Flori­da, where the imple­men­ta­tion of the Func­tion­al Fam­i­ly Ther­a­py mod­el led to report­ed gains for both fos­ter par­ents and kids in care.