Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO)

Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) was developed as an alternative to institutional, residential, and group care placements for children and youth with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. TFCO is tailored to the developmental needs of children across two age ranges: TFCO-C serves children 7-11, and TCFO-A serves youth ages 12-17. Two major aims of TFCO are to create opportunities for children to successfully live in a family setting, rather than in group or institutional settings, and to help caregivers provide effective parenting. There are five key areas TFCO focuses on: (1) consistent, reinforcing environment with mentoring and encouragement; (2) daily structure with clear expectations and limits; (3) high-level of youth supervision; (4) limited access to problem peers but access to prosocial peers; and (5) environment that supports school attendance and homework completion.

For foster parent(s), there is typically a minimum of seven contacts per week which consist of five 10-minute contacts, one two-hour group, and additional contacts based on the amount of support or consultation required. For the youth in treatment, two contacts per week which consist of a weekly individual therapy for one hour and weekly individual skills training in a two-hour session. For the biological family or other long-term placement resource, one contact per week in the form of a one-hour family therapy session. Overall duration is 6-9 months. TFCO-A has materials in English and Swedish.