Four services. One standard of care.
Every Forstter program runs on the same promise: trauma-informed care, trained adults on every shift, and one shared record. Here is what each service offers, who it serves, and the Kansas and national standards it is built on.
Emergency Shelter
A short-term safe place for a girl who needs one tonight, with awake staff, a warm bed and a plan for what comes next.
When a placement falls through or a young person cannot stay where she is, our emergency shelter gives her a calm, home-like place to land. We complete intake the same day, meet her basic needs first, and keep school, medical care and family contact going while her case team finds the next home.
Awake staff all night.
- Who we serve
- Girls, ages 5–18
- Hours
- 24 hours, 7 days
- Length of stay
- Short-term
- Placed by
- CPAs & law enforcement (PPC)
What to expect
- Same-day intake: medications, allergies, court status and belongings recorded
- Awake, trained staff on every overnight shift
- Meals, rest, clothing and personal care from the first hour
- School attendance and medical appointments kept on track
How we care
- Trauma-informed, calm and predictable days
- Rights orientation and a clear way to raise a grievance
- Family and visitation contact as the case plan allows
- Close work with the case team on the next placement
24-hour care and a short-term safe place until a longer-term placement is found
Licensed under K.A.R. 28-4-123–132 and 28-4-268–280. Placement is denied only when safety cannot be assured.
Request a placementYRC II
Group care that teaches the next skill, not the next lock. Structure, school and daily living skills on a clear path toward a family-like setting.
Our Youth Residential Center II home serves boys in DCF custody who need more structure than a foster home can offer, in a non-secure, home-like setting. Staff build routines around school, chores, recreation and life skills, and every week is measured against the goals in the youth’s plan.
- Who we serve
- Boys in DCF custody
- Setting
- Non-secure group home
- Staffing
- Awake staff 24/7
- Placed by
- CPAs & law enforcement (PPC)
What to expect
- Daily structure: school, homework hour, chores and recreation
- Life skills such as cooking, budgeting and job readiness
- Individual goals reviewed with the case team
- Medical, dental and behavioral health visits coordinated
How we care
- Nonviolent, trauma-informed behavior support
- Staff 21 or older, trained before working alone
- Family contact encouraged as the plan allows
- Transition planning starts on day one
Non-secure group care that raises functioning
Youth Residential Center II care designed to build skills and move each young person toward a less restrictive, family-like placement.
Request a placementDay Respite
A planned day of care so the family can rest. Supervised, structured, and home the same day.
Caring for a young person with serious emotional needs is hard, steady work. Day Respite gives unpaid caregivers a scheduled break while their child spends the day with trained staff in a safe, supervised setting, then returns home that evening.
Home the same day.
- Who we serve
- Youth ages 10–17
- Schedule
- Planned day visits
- Overnight
- No, home same day
- Program
- KDADS SED Waiver
What to expect
- A planned, supervised day with structured activities
- Meals and medication given as directed
- Pick-up and drop-off times agreed in advance
- A short note to the family at the end of the day
How we care
- The same trained staff and standards as our homes
- Calm, predictable routines youth can count on
- Activities matched to age and interests
- Caregivers kept informed throughout
Relief for unpaid caregivers, home the same day
Respite care for youth served under the Kansas Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) waiver, delivered by trained, background-checked staff.
Ask about respiteSitter Services
Someone steady, the whole way. A trained sitter stays with a young person until the hand-off is done.
When a youth is in the hospital, waiting on a placement or being transported during a crisis, they should never be alone with strangers. Agencies post a job, and a trained, background-checked Forstter sitter takes it, stays through the sit or the drive, and confirms the hand-off. Every step is on the record.
is confirmed.
- Service type
- Hospital sitting & transport
- Service area
- 29 Kansas counties
- Sitters
- Trained & background-checked
- Requested by
- Agencies & hospitals
What to expect
- A sitter assigned to the job and confirmed to you
- Continuous one-to-one presence for the length of the sit
- Safe crisis transport between hospital, shelter or home
- Live hand-off tracking and a written record of the job
How we care
- Calm, de-escalation-first approach
- Certified training before a sitter’s first job
- Clear check-ins with the requesting agency
- Privacy protected at every step
Trained, certified and background-checked
Sitters complete crisis-intervention training aligned with KDADS expectations and pass background checks before working with youth.
Post a sitter job (opens in a new tab)At a glance
| Service | Who it serves | Setting | Standard | How to start |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Shelter | Girls, ages 5–18 | 24-hour, short-term home | DCF Placement Standards, Ch. 8 | CPA or law enforcement (PPC) calls our 24/7 line |
| YRC II | Boys in DCF custody | Non-secure group home | DCF Placement Standards, Ch. 7 | CPA or law enforcement (PPC) placement |
| Day Respite | All genders, ages 10–17 | Planned day, home same day | KDADS SED Waiver STRC | Call to schedule a respite day |
| Sitter Services | Youth in hospital or transport | One-to-one, on location | KDADS crisis intervention | Agency or hospital posts a sitter job |
Questions about a service?
Child placing agencies and law enforcement can reach our 24/7 line for placements. Families, hospitals and agencies can call or email us about respite or sitter services.