Serving Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and IRC
"Children come first above all else"
About Hugs Foster Family Agency
Our Story
Our Approach
Our Approach
At Hugs Foster Family Agency, we started with a simple idea: to provide a safe and nurturing environment for children in foster care. Over the years, we have grown and expanded our services, but our commitment to our mission remains the same.
Our Approach
Our Approach
Our Approach
We take a holistic approach to foster care, addressing not only the physical needs of children but also their emotional, social, and educational needs. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, and we work diligently to make that a reality.
Our Impact
Our Approach
Our Impact
Since our inception, we have helped hundreds of children find loving homes and supportive families. Our impact extends beyond the children we serve, as we also work to raise awareness about foster care and advocate for positive change in the child welfare system.
Donate Now
We are committed to enhancing the lives of individuals in our community. Your donation today can help us create meaningful change.
About Us
As a vendor with Inland Regional Center (IRC), Hugs works collaboratively with IRC coordinators, medical professionals, counties, and resource families to ensure children receive the specialized services, support, and care they need to thrive. Our agency is committed to helping children access appropriate medical, developmental, behavioral, and supportive services while ensuring they are cared for in safe, stable, and nurturing family environments.
We are seeking families ready to support teenagers as they transition into adulthood. These teens are the future leaders of our country, and the guidance we provide can empower them to make informed decisions.
Many of our Resource Families are nurses who provide care for Special Health Care Needs (SHCN) children in our community. We are truly grateful to have such committed individuals on our team.
Our Goal
How We're Helping
We are a community-focused organization dedicated to creating a better and happier world around us. Thanks to our hardworking staff, we organize fundraisers, engaging community events, and comprehensive training sessions for our Foster Parents. Opening your heart and home to a child in need of a warm, loving, and stable environment is a deeply rewarding experience. Witnessing a child grow into a happy, trusting, and loving individual is truly invaluable. Often, foster family agencies support children whose unique needs require a higher level of supervision and care than what county-licensed homes can offer.
Get Involved
Are you passionate about our mission? We’d love to hear from you! We’re always looking for volunteers to help turn our vision into reality, and we’ll work with you to find a volunteering opportunity that fits your interests and schedule. We’re excited to welcome you to our team! Whether you’re a working professional, a stay-at-home parent, retired, married, or single, if you meet the qualifications for HUGS Foster Family Agency and pass a background check, you can become a certified HUGS foster parent.
Thank You
Thank you for your support, whether through monetary donations, volunteering your time, or sharing our mission with others. We couldn’t achieve our goals without generous supporters like you. We offer ongoing training to help foster parents navigate the unique challenges of caring for children, and your dedicated HUGS social worker is available around the clock. Our collaborative approach includes agency staff, county social workers, certified foster parents, and family advocates working together to provide comprehensive support.
Insight to our program
Covid-19
We are proud to announce that our organization is 100% vaccinated. Our staff fully supports the CDC's recommendations and remains committed to doing our part in overcoming the challenges presented by the pandemic.
Detailed services
Our team includes nurses who provide essential medical support and training for our medically fragile population. Children with special healthcare needs, developmental delays, or emotional and behavioral issues are placed with our specially trained resource families. Before accepting a medically fragile child into their home, families must meet with the agency nurse and typically attend a "Bates" meeting to discuss the child's specific needs.
Program Goal
The program aims to provide trauma-informed, culturally relevant, and developmentally appropriate services to ensure that children grow and thrive both in care and beyond. We utilize the PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education) Model of Practice to achieve these goals.
Training
Before receiving their first medically fragile placement, all specialized homes are required to complete 9 hours of training conducted by the HUGS Nurse. However, being certified or approved does not prevent these families from taking in a child with non-medical needs before completing the training. An exception applies to certified or approved parents who hold a valid license as an MD, RN, or LVN; while they must still complete the 9-hour training, they are not required to do so before accepting their first medically fragile placement.
Hugs Staff
HUGS Foster Family Agency social workers will maintain weekly contact with certified and resource families caring for medically fragile children. They are required to conduct two in-home visits each month and document any medical and educational appointments. If there are potential concerns regarding a child's medical needs, social workers will update the agency's Registered Nurse. The HUGS Registered Nurses are responsible for assessing each child's specific healthcare needs before or upon placement. After placement, the agency nurse will conduct home visits and contact families as frequently as necessary, based on each child's individual needs.
Volunteers
HUGS Foster Family Agency will engage volunteers in two primary ways. Some volunteers will assist with managing donations, organizing public events, assembling packets, and other administrative tasks. Others will work directly with specific youth and their needs, with the permission of the Child and Family Team, the placing agency social worker, and the assigned HUGS social worker.
CARF Accreditation
For the third consecutive time, HUGS Foster Family Agency has been awarded a Three-Year Accreditation for our program services, which include Foster Family and Kinship Care for children and adolescents.