Eligibility
The following criteria must be met for a child to be eligible for placement.
- The child is male or female, between the ages of ten (10) and fifteen (15) and has an IQ above 70.
- Custody is clearly established with an adoption degree or appointed legal guardianship papers.
- If child is foreign born US citizenship must be establish with a Certificate of Citizenship.
- Child has no legal history of crimes involving personal injury to others, including sexual offenses.
- Child is free from communicable disease.
- Child has no medical involvements that require on-going nursing care (feeding tubes, etc.).
- The child’s general physician, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional is willing to state in writing that there is a need for a residential, long-term, out of home placement.
- Hope House has suitable bed space available.
- Parents complete and submit all application materials and agreements fully completed.
Placement Process
Hope House only accepts youth into care during the months of January, June & July. Openings are then based on the number of bed spaces we have available and if we have an adequate number of direct care staff. In addition when considering youth for placement we take into account which youth will fit in best with the other children in our girls or boys dorm in regards to personality, temperament, number of peers in each age group, etc.
Complete and email the online Placement Inquiry Form to our Case Manager Supervisor, Mary Kent, in the email provided at the top of the form. We accept inquiries in any month.
You will receive an email response regarding eligibility within two weeks.
If your child is eligible we will either set up an interview or hold onto your inquiry until we are ready to interview. If space is available we typically interview in November for January placements and then in April and May for summer placements.
At least one parent/guardian will need to accompany your child to Hope House for a formal interview. During your visit to Hope House, you and your child will tour our home and school and meet our family care staff, other children in care and school personnel.
If your child is approved for placement (and you still desire your child to be placed at HH) an arrival date will be established for January, June or July. You will be given our Parent Manual, Youth Handbook and the placement application.
Complete the application and submit all supporting documentation. All notarized documents must be dated within 30 days of your child arriving at Hope House.