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Foster care providers are in great demand throughout the state. Currently there are more than 2,600 children in custody of the State of Utah's Division of Child and Family Services, according to the Utah Foster Care Foundation. These children range in age from infants to teenagers, and they have the same interests, abilities, dreams and needs as all children.
A licensed clinical social worker, Brent DeMille worked with many youth placed in foster care. He discovered a widespread need for additional options for many of these children. In 2007, he teamed up with his wife, Colleen, to form Colbren Family Care to meet these needs.
St. George-based Colbren Family Care is a child placing agency for home-based residential care, meaning the company finds families willing to provide proctor care. Proctor care is similar to foster care but involves teenagers that for various reasons can't be placed in traditional foster homes. Many of them require a higher level of care. Proctor parents are given extensive training on methods to help these children, and the organization provides ongoing support and therapy for the children.
Licensed professionals give youth mental health assessments to create a treatment program for that child. Brent says Colbren is in the process of upgrading the training it provides. Many youth placed in proctor care have had difficult lives that cause them to develop significant behavior problems — from substance abuse to acting out sexually. Helping the families learn to deal with these issues is a major portion of what Colbren Family Care does.
Having worked with youth for so long, Brent cares deeply about all the children Colbren Family Care assists. The organization focuses on finding the right parents to help the youth grow and develop. He hopes to expand Colbren's footprint from Washington and Iron counties into other areas of the state as well.
