211 logo
united way logo
hernando county logo

Service Tree

The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.

Placements for Children and Youth

Group Homes for Dependent Children

Facilities that provide an alternative living environment for children and youth who have been neglected, abused or abandoned or have had contact with the juvenile justice system, who are unable to live with their own family or a foster family and who would benefit from a professionally supervised, structured group environment. In some situations, particularly with older youth, a group home is the only option available. Group homes for dependent children are generally licensed by the state.

Kinship Care

Arrangements in which the full time care, supervision, nurturing and protection of a minor child is the responsibility of a grandparent, aunt, uncle or other relative, member of the child’s tribe or clan, godparent, stepparent, friend of family or another adult who has a long-standing relationship with the child or the family in situations where the child cannot live with his or her parents. Types of kinship care include informal agreements between family members or with a non-relative; kinship caregiver arrangements in which the caregiver has physical custody but the children’s protective services agency has legal custody; kinship guardian arrangements in which the caregiver has both legal and physical custody; and kinship foster care in which the caregiver is a licensed foster parent and has physical custody of the child while the children’s protective agency has legal custody.

Therapeutic Foster Homes

Agency-supervised private family homes in which foster parents have been trained to provide individualized, structured services in a safe, nurturing family living environment for children and adolescents with significant emotional or behavioral problems who require a higher level of care than is found in a conventional foster home but do not require placement in a more restrictive setting. Therapeutic foster parents receive special training in mental health issues, behavior management and parenting techniques; and implement the in-home portion of the treatment plan with close supervision and support. They serve as integral members of the team of professionals providing services for the child, get the child to therapy and other treatment appointments, write daily notes about interventions and attend treatment team meetings. Therapeutic foster care is considered the least restrictive out-of-home placement for children with severe emotional disorders.

.