Group Emergency Foster Care (GEFC)

The Children’s Home provides emergency foster care under contract with Dutchess County Department of Social Services to support their child protective efforts by providing a safe, immediately available 24/7 option in those cases where removal of children and youth from their homes is necessary to protect them from imminent danger.   The program serves all ages from birth to eighteen years of age.  The program is tailored to serve individual children and sibling groups and full diagnostic services are coordinated by the Home’s nursing staff.  The diagnostic service allows the County to make more informed decisions regarding the eventual placement of children and youth in longer term options such as family foster homes, Boarding Homes, group homes or Residential Treatment Centers.  Contact with their own medical doctors and attendance at their home schools and churches are maintained. The GEFC program recently protected it's 1,000th child.