Parents involved in a Youth Villages foster care program.
Photo: Youth Villages
By Julia Comiskey
A year ago, Julie’s family wasn’t sure where to turn.
The 10-year-old Sanford girl was struggling with daily routines, school transitions, and classroom behavior. Her parents were doing their best but felt overwhelmed.
That’s when the family was referred to Intercept, a foster care prevention program providing intensive in-home support. Intercept pairs families with a specialist who meets with them several times each week, helping to stabilize home life, teach parenting strategies, and support children with emotional or behavioral health needs.
“Intercept was the difference maker,” Julie’s mom said.
During the past year, the specialist and family rebuilt trust, improved communication, and developed strategies to support Julie. The results have been transformative. Julie is now thriving — riding bikes with her brother, attending summer school, and excitedly looking forward to Girl Scouts. Her parents recently spoke with confidence at an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting at her school — something they once felt too intimidated to do.
Intercept is one of many programs provided by Youth Villages, a nationwide non-profit organization with offices in Manchester, NH. Admission is determined through a referral process initiated by school counselors or Maine Office of Child and Family Services, which funds the services. There is no cost to families to enroll in Intercept. Services are valued at about $132 per day per youth. More than 15 families in the Sanford area have been served in recent years.
Julie is one of nearly 150 Maine children and families who have benefited from Intercept in the last two years. Designed to prevent children from entering foster care or to reunify them quickly with family if out-of-home care is necessary, the evidence-based program provides intensive in-home services for four to nine months, with specialists available around the clock.
For Julie and her family, that support meant not just surviving a difficult season but rediscovering joy in everyday moments.
Her parents summed it up simply: “We feel like a family again.”
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