Make a Difference
You can make a difference for child in need of a safe, loving home. Find out how.
Why Mentors?
We call our foster parents Mentors because they do so much more than provide a foster home—they help children learn and grow, forever changing their lives. As positive role models, teachers, family and friends, our Mentors develop meaningful relationships with the youth they support and provide:
- 24-hour supervision and support
- Ongoing family- and community-based activities
- Life skills development
- Transportation
- Medication management
Mentors Make the Difference
The key to any mentoring relationship is the close, one-on-one relationship that develops. Whether between caregiver and patient, teacher and student, or, in our case, foster parent and a child in need, we believe the mentoring relationship is central to helping all young people reach their potential. The support, trust and stability found in our Mentor model are essential ingredients in helping young people learn and grow in natural family homes where they belong.
This is the basis of the Mentor model, but what ultimately makes it effective is the caring and dedication of our Mentors. For that reason, Alabama MENTOR provides a range of professional support services to help our Mentors be the best foster parents they can be.
Become a Mentor
Family Vistas
Alabama MENTOR’s Therapeutic Foster Care program is based on our clinical model, Family Vistas.
Therapeutic Foster Care
All children deserve to live in safe, nurturing homes where they can feel valued and loved. They need support to reach their goals and opportunities to develop positive relationships with caring adults.
In Alabama MENTOR’s Therapeutic Foster Care program, we match children, adolescents, and teens with dedicated foster parents who we call Mentors. With the help of our expert staff, Mentors provide individualized treatment and support to help youth with complex challenges lead healthy, stable lives in the communities they call home.
Individualized Treatment & Support
Our Therapeutic Foster Care program begins with Individualized Service Plans (ISPs). We take time to understand each child’s past and dreams for the future. Then we work with their Mentors, referring case managers, family members and guardians to develop services that meet their unique needs.
At the center of our professional teams are exceptional Clinical Coordinators who focus on each child’s permanency goals—whether it’s reunification with family, adoption or independent living. With a track record of success spanning more than two decades, our Therapeutic Foster Care program offers a range of comprehensive support including:
- Therapy and counseling services
- Family and community-based activities
- Advocacy and support for court and school systems
- 24-hour emergency on-call services
- Case management and individualized service plans
- Skill development and ongoing education for foster parents
- Program oversight and quality improvement
- Access to our continuum of care and program transfers
Youth We Support
Alabama MENTOR’s Therapeutic Foster Care program is designed to serve youth who require a higher level of care and clinical support than traditional foster care models. Our TFC program serves children of all ages and backgrounds who have often experienced abuse or neglect, trauma, family separation, multiple foster care placements or placements in more restrictive environments. As a result, youth referred to Alabama MENTOR from the Alabama Department of Human Resources may have mental health diagnoses as well as emotional and behavioral challenges that require ongoing and specialized treatment.
Through this flexible program we’ve helped hundreds of children and adolescents gain stability, comfort and confidence through healthy relationships with responsible, caring adults. These relationships are the cornerstone of our program’s continued success and help the youth we serve reach their potential.
Interested in becoming a foster parent?
There’s more information on our blog. Visit to learn what it takes and how to get started.