KidsPeace Foster Care

KidsPeace Foster Care in Reading, PA operates from 704 Hay Rd in Temple, just north of Reading in Muhlenberg Township, Berks County. The office is part of KidsPeace, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit organization with roots in the Lehigh Valley that has grown into a multi-state provider of foster care, behavioral health treatment and specialized education for children and adolescents. The Temple location functions as the regional base for foster care recruitment, family certification and ongoing casework across Berks County and the surrounding area, and it also houses program space used for services delivered directly to children and families.

The central work of the office is matching children who cannot safely remain at home with trained, approved resource families, then supporting both the child and the household for as long as the placement lasts. Referrals typically come through county children and youth agencies, and the agency's role is to prepare families in advance, place children thoughtfully, and stay involved through the day to day realities of fostering.

Becoming a Foster Parent

Prospective foster parents in Berks County begin with an information session or an initial phone conversation with staff at the Temple office, who explain the licensing process and what the county currently needs. Requirements are set by Pennsylvania regulation and generally include being at least 21 years old, having adequate space in the home, demonstrating sufficient income to meet the household's own needs, and clearing state police, child abuse and FBI background checks. Applicants complete a home study and pre-service training before approval.

KidsPeace works with a wide range of household types. Single adults, married couples, unmarried partners, renters and homeowners, families with children already at home and empty nesters can all be considered. Kinship care, in which a relative or close family friend becomes the licensed caregiver for a child they already know, is a significant part of the work, and staff can walk relatives through the paperwork and training needed to become formally approved.

Training covers subjects foster parents regularly encounter: the effects of trauma on child development, behavior support strategies, medication and medical appointment management, cultural considerations, the legal process surrounding dependency cases, and the practical mechanics of working alongside biological families, caseworkers, attorneys and the courts. Ongoing training hours are required annually to maintain certification, and the agency provides those as well.

Types of Placement

Children referred for foster care in Berks County vary widely in age and need, and the agency arranges several categories of placement:

• Traditional foster care for infants, children and teenagers who need a temporary home while their family situation is addressed
• Kinship care placements with relatives or people already connected to the child
• Therapeutic or specialized foster care for young people with significant emotional, behavioral or medical needs, which involves additional training for the caregiver and a higher level of clinical support
• Sibling group placements, with an emphasis on keeping brothers and sisters together whenever it is possible
• Respite care, in which approved families provide short term care so that other foster parents can take a planned break
• Adoption support for foster families when reunification is no longer the plan and a child becomes legally free

Reunification with the birth family remains the goal in most dependency cases, and foster parents are asked to support visits and contact where the court has ordered them. When that plan changes, families who have been caring for a child are often the first considered for permanency.

Support for Resource Families

Licensed foster parents receive a tax exempt daily reimbursement intended to cover the cost of caring for a child, with the rate varying by the level of care required. Beyond the financial side, the Temple staff provide case management, regular home visits, help coordinating school enrollment and medical care, and access to crisis assistance outside of standard business hours. Social workers carry caseloads sized to allow consistent contact, and families generally deal with a familiar team rather than a rotating cast.

Foster parents also have access to clinical consultation when a child's behavior or mental health needs change, along with guidance on navigating individualized education programs, therapy referrals and court hearings. Many families who come to the agency have no prior experience with the child welfare system, and a substantial part of the staff's job is translating that system into plain terms.

Programs for Children and Families

The Temple campus is also associated with community based services for children and adolescents in Berks County, including structured after school programming and supports designed for young people on the autism spectrum. These services are built around skill building, social connection and consistent routines, and they are staffed by people trained in behavioral health rather than general child care. Families involved with these programs are not necessarily foster families; the location serves a broader population of children who need additional support during the school year and over the summer.

Because KidsPeace operates across several service lines, the Reading area office can point families toward other parts of the organization when a different level of care is appropriate, including outpatient behavioral health and more intensive treatment settings elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

Location, Access and Contact

The office sits on Hay Road in Temple, a short drive from Route 61 and the Reading city line, with on site parking available. The parking lot and the building entrance are both wheelchair accessible. The setting is a low rise facility rather than a county government building, which tends to make first visits less intimidating for families and children coming in for appointments, trainings or meetings.

Berks County residents interested in fostering, relatives who have been asked to care for a child, and professionals making a referral can reach the office by telephone at +1 610-929-4670. Staff can answer questions about eligibility, timelines, training schedules and reimbursement before any formal application is submitted, and there is no obligation attached to an initial conversation.

Practical Notes for Prospective Families

• Licensing typically takes several months from first contact to approval, depending on how quickly clearances, references and home study appointments are completed
• Home safety requirements include working smoke detectors, safe storage of medications and firearms, and adequate sleeping space for each child
• Employment outside the home does not disqualify an applicant, though child care arrangements need to be discussed during the home study
• Foster parents keep the right to decline a specific placement that would not fit their household
• Spanish speaking families are part of the agency's work in Berks County, and language needs can be discussed when making contact