TMM Family Services, INC.

 

Children's Village consists of eight (8) state licensed residential group homes where up to 41 children reside. Each home is staffed with professional house parent managers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The children, ages 3 - 18 years, live in a family style environment. The house parents wake them in the morning, prepares breakfast and get them ready for school. They pick them up from school, they prepare afternoon snack, get started on homework, and attend to their needs like any other parent.  The children participate in organized sports like any other kid. Our model emphasizes low child to adult ratios so as to better attend to the needs of our children.

Children's Village also sees to their medical, dental, and emotional needs. Each child has to see a doctor within seven (7) days of arrival and the dentist within thirty (30) days of arrival. If a child is in need of counseling, services are provided through a contractor with Child Protective Services (CPS).

The program was initiated in 1995 with one home. The children need a temporary place to live while they await adoption, return to their home of origin or placement in extended foster care. They are referred to us by the State Department of Economic Security - Child Protective Services (CPS), Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD), and the courts. The children come from various ethnic backgrounds, and some have special needs.

One unique feature of Children's Village is that it provides housing for siblings groups. Children’s Village is currently home to a sibling group of three who have resided at Children’s Village since April of 2007. These children are awaiting a family for adoption; this is the reality for most of the children here on campus. With the number of children in foster care rising and the number of available homes in decline, our mission is to continue to provide a “family style” setting so children can transition to an adoptive home with more success. TMM looks at every aspect of the child's needs in order to achieve this goal.

When asked by their adoption worker what kind of family our sibling group would like to have, their comment was "to find a family that attends church on Sunday just like the group home" in which they currently live. This comment was made to an independent news reporter! This statement from these children speaks volumes of the specialized care they receive here at TMM.