RSI Foster Care and Adoption Services
Who are RSI Resource Parents?
RSI/Monroe Harding resource parents provide a temporary home to children who cannot live with their birth families for a variety of reasons.
RSI/Monroe Harding resource parents are people just like you. They come from all walks of life. They are women and men of all races and ages. Some are single, others are married. Many have children of their own, while others have not been parents before. Some families have working parents, and some have stay-at-home parents. What they have in common is a wellspring of love for children and a stable, loving family that they are willing to share.
What are the benefits of being an RSI/Monroe Harding Resource Parent?
Fostering with RSI/Monroe Harding gives families an opportunity to teach children the everyday skills needed to get along with others and to take care of themselves. Children who have been abused and neglected often lack such basic skills as personal hygiene, playing, making friends, home chores, cooperating with others, and coping with their feelings.
Resource parents enjoy offering children activities they have never experienced before such as movies, vacations, shopping, being a part of a sports team, church involvement, etc. The smile on a child’s face is the greatest reward of all.
Often children in foster care have problems being successful in school. Resource parents often help teach children their reading, writing, and math skills to help make up for delays. It is so exciting to see a child who is barely making passing grades reach the honor roll and have school successes.
What kinds of support does RSI/Monroe Harding offer?
RSI/Monroe Harding resource parents have the support of a social worker 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is vital to the child’s stability that resource parents be able to talk with someone when a problem occurs. Staff members are committed to helping solve any problem to keep a child’s placement stable. Because it is difficult at times, foster parenting with RSI/Monroe Harding requires teamwork and open communication.
RSI/Monroe Harding provides a variety of ongoing resource parent training options. RSI believes that resource parents who are specially trained and supported can best meet the child’s unique and individual needs.
Resource parents also receive monthly financial support for their work. Because Monroe Harding is a tax-exempt child-placement agency, payments to resource parents are not taxable.
Each foster child receives a monthly stipend to pay for personal items and expenses. Medical, dental and mental health expenses are covered by the child’s insurance.
Is foster parenting with RSI/Monroe Harding for you?
RSI/Monroe Harding has resource parents throughout Middle Tennessee. RSI/Monroe Harding is always looking for new resource parents and families to ensure that there is a family for every child who needs one. We believe in setting a child and resource family up for success by matching a child’s needs to the strengths of a family.
To get started, call RSI/Monroe Harding’s recruiter coordinator at (615) 298-5573!
