Many individuals who first learn about our services see the term “foster care” and stop reading. Traditionally, foster care is associated with the state taking custody of children due to abuse or neglect. However, Operation Open Arms offers something different. Our services are completely voluntary—parents choose to place their children in our certified, trained, and temporary homes while they are justice-involved or participating in substance use treatment.

At Operation Open Arms, our commitment is to put children first by providing a loving, stable, and safe home environment while maintaining strong connections with their parents and working to restore and strengthen those relationships.

Our primary program, Incarceration Support Services, typically provides longer-term placements for children. Our newer and growing program, Recovery Support Services, meets a critical need by offering shorter-term placements while parents engage in treatment. Both programs are supported by an essential component: respite care.

Respite care can take several forms. Some families serve as respite providers for children in our long-term foster homes, offering short breaks—typically up to one week, once or twice per year—for foster families. In our Recovery Support Services program, the family caring for the child during a parent’s treatment often becomes an ongoing support system, providing respite care for up to two years following reunification. In these cases, respite is typically overnight care for one or two nights at a time, about once a month.

Respite homes are vital to the success of each of our programs. They also offer families a meaningful way to get involved and often serve as a stepping stone to becoming a foster home. All respite providers complete the same thorough screening, training, and approval process as our certified foster families.

For more information on Incarcerated Support Services click here. - https://www.oparms.org/incarceration-support

For more information on Recovery Support Services click here. – https://www.oparms.org/respite-recovery