Services

Sponsored Residential Services for children and adolescents.

A licensed, therapeutic residential option that looks and feels like family life, because for the youth in our care, that is exactly what it is.

Who we serve

Youth ages 7 to 17 whose plan calls for family-based residential care.

UCSI accepts referrals for children and adolescents whose treatment team has determined that a family-style therapeutic setting is the least restrictive placement that will safely meet their needs.

Typical referrals include:

  • Youth stepping down from higher-acuity residential or PRTF settings
  • Children who need a therapeutic placement while a permanency plan is finalized
  • Sibling groups that need to remain together in a home environment
  • Older adolescents preparing for independent living
  • Youth whose behavioral or mental-health needs exceed a traditional foster placement
A modern bedroom prepared for a young man A modern bedroom prepared for a young woman
Inside a UCSI home

What every Sponsor Parent home provides.

Every home is inspected and approved before a placement is made. These are the standards we hold every household to.

Bedroom
A furnished, developmentally appropriate private or shared bedroom prepared in advance of arrival, with a bed, dresser, linens, and space for personal belongings.
Household size
Maximum of 2 youth placed per home, and no more than 7 total household members. Small enough for real relationship.
Meals
Three nutritious meals plus snacks daily. Special dietary and cultural needs honored.
Safety
Health, fire, and environmental inspections. Locked medication storage. Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Documented emergency plans.
Community
Access to community schools, faith communities, sports, and youth activities. Every child gets a normal life alongside their treatment goals.
Transportation
Sponsor Parents transport youth to school, appointments, court, family visits, and enrichment activities.
Program pillars

Four things every UCSI placement delivers.

Individualized planning

Every youth has a written Individualized Service Plan (ISP) with concrete goals, review dates, and the whole team's signatures, reviewed at scheduled intervals and any time needs change.

Coordinated clinical care

Sponsored Professional Coordinator visits weekly. A Risk Manager oversees safety and any critical incident. Therapy, psychiatry, and behavioral services are provided through trusted community clinicians we coordinate closely with.

Educational continuity

We enroll in school within required timelines, coordinate with IEP/504 teams, monitor attendance, and support homework and academic goals daily.

Family & permanency

We support the youth's approved family contact plan and coordinate closely with the placing worker on reunification, adoption, or step-down goals.

Placement process

From referral to home, step by step.

  1. Referral received. A placing worker sends the completed referral packet: demographics, clinical history, IEPs, current ISP, and funding authorization.
  2. Clinical review. Our team reviews safety and fit within 1–2 business days. Additional information is requested if needed.
  3. Match proposed. We identify a Sponsor Parent home whose skills, household composition, and location fit the youth's needs. The proposed match is shared with the placing worker.
  4. Pre-placement contact. The youth and the Sponsor Parent meet, ideally more than once, before move-in. Photos of the home, bedroom, and household are shared in advance.
  5. ISP signed and admission planned. An initial ISP is completed and signed. Arrival logistics (transportation, arrival day, school enrollment) are coordinated with the placing worker.
  6. Ongoing support. Once placed, the Coordinator visits weekly, documentation flows continuously to the placing worker, and the Risk Manager reviews any concern.
Two ways to start

Refer a youth or become a Sponsor Parent.

Our program depends on both: the workers who trust us with a placement, and the families who open their homes.

For Referring Agencies Become a Sponsor Parent