Foster Home: There are several types of foster homes, including foster family homes, kinship foster homes, and therapeutic foster homes. In all of these homes, you will be placed with foster parents and, possibly, with other children. In a kinship foster home, your foster parents are family members (such as aunts, uncles, grandparents, or older siblings) who have been certified to care for you. In a therapeutic foster home, your foster parents have received special training to help them understand and address your emotional and behavioral needs.

Group Home: A group home is a family-style home for 7 to 12 young people.

Children’s Community Residence (CCR): A CCR is a small therapeutic group home for 6 to 8 young people. The staff receives special training to work with young people with mental health challenges. You will get some services on-site, like workshops. You will most likely get therapy and other mental health services through programs in the community.

Diagnostic Reception Center (DRC): A DRC is a temporary placement where you live with other young people while you have mental health evaluations. These evaluations will be used to figure out where you should be placed next and what services you will need. Placement in a DRC usually lasts about 30 days, and you should not stay in a DRC longer than about 3 months. During your stay at a DRC, you will receive some services on-site, but DRCs may not provide intensive mental health treatment. If you need treatment (like therapy or medication), and you are not getting it at your DRC, speak with your caseworker or lawyer immediately.

Residential Treatment Center (RTC): An RTC is a residential placement for young people with special needs. If you are placed in an RTC, you will live in a small house (or "cottage"), attend a school on campus, and receive mental health services, supervision, and recreation on-site.

Residential Treatment Facility (RTF): An RTF is similar to an RTC, but it provides more intense treatment and more services. RTFs are also generally smaller placements with more staff and mental health professionals on-site. If you are in a psychiatric hospital, you may be able to "step down" to an RTF when you are ready for discharge. If you are in a lower level of care, placement in an RTF may help you avoid hospitalization.

Psychiatric Hospital: A hospital is not a foster care placement, but some young people may need to spend time in one at some point while they are in foster care. Hospital stays should be used to stabilize your emotions or behavior so that you can return to your placement in the community as quickly as possible. If you need long-term, inpatient treatment, you may be placed in a state psychiatric hospital.