Strengthening the Future -

The SMART thing to do!

SMART Child and Family Services was created by six foster parents who believed in the importance of modeling healthy family life and supporting the functioning of foster families as the primary means of treatment.  For two years these foster parents put in long, uncompensated hours to create a therapeutic foster care agency that would provide consistent, ongoing support for its professional foster parents.  The agency placed its first child in August of 1995. 

In the program they devised, SMART caseworkers are assigned to foster families instead of individual foster children.  The caseworker and the foster parents work together to support the functioning of the foster family to help it meet the needs of its foster children.  The children are also served by their own Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) caseworker.

SMART's first office was located in one of the foster parent's home in Cornish.  Later, the office was moved from the home to a small rented space in Windham.  In the summer of 1996, SMART purchased and moved into its current office, an old farmhouse in Windham.  Numerous subsequent additions and enlargements have provided additional meeting and office space.  Currently, SMART’s foster homes are located in Cumberland, York, Oxford, Androscoggin, and Kennebec counties, and we serve children from all over the State of Maine. 

In direct response to the ever-growing need for comprehensive counseling services in the Lakes Region area, SMART expanded its services in late 2004 with the addition of SMART Counseling Services, housed in it's Windham facility.  SMART has compassionate, masters-level male and female clinicians who provide counseling for children, adolescents, adults and families.  The agency accepts MaineCare, Medicaid, TriCare, Anthem BC/BS, Aetna, United Behavioral Health, Harvard Pilgrim and cash payments.  Please see the web page on this website named "Counseling" for more information and who to contact.

SMART now has a wonderful new addition to their facility that has new, comfortable, spacious offices for their counseling program.  Please call Holly Hathaway, LCSW to discuss how our counseling services could benefit you or someone you care about.

In October of 2008, SMART is opening a state licensed small child care facility called SMART START Child Care Center and Preschool.  With two floors of space, the center will have activity centers that will include art, reading, music, writing, science, math and dramatic play.  A large outdoor fenced-in playground allows for outdoor play and activities, weather permitting.  SMART START will focus on encouraging individuality in each child and helping them to prepare for primary school.  The Center will have twelve children, allowing for individual attention, and has teachers with years of experience and education in early childhood development and education.  Please call Amy Thomas for more information or to schedule a tour of the center.