Our Model
A Specialized Therapeutic Maternity Framework
Purposely Chosen operates a licensed Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) maternity home exclusively serving pregnant and parenting youth ages 13–21.
Our model is designed to provide structured stabilization while protecting infant safety and strengthening parenting capacity.
This is not general residential care.
This is specialized therapeutic maternity programming within the child welfare continuum.
Our Framework
1. Structured Therapeutic Stabilization
Young mothers entering our program often present with placement instability, trauma history, and disrupted support systems.
Our STRTP framework provides:
- 24-hour supervised residential care
- Individualized service and treatment planning
- Developmentally appropriate structure
- Clear behavioral expectations and accountability
- Stabilization prior to transition
The purpose is measurable safety and emotional regulation — not passive shelter.
2. Maternal & Infant Safety Integration
Our program integrates infant protection and maternal development within the same care environment.
This includes:
- Ongoing infant safety monitoring
- Parenting capacity assessment
- Child development education
- Prenatal and postpartum health coordination
- Early intervention linkage when needed
By integrating maternal growth and infant protection, we reduce the risk of infant foster care entry and placement disruption.
3. Trauma-Informed Therapeutic Support
As a licensed STRTP, our model incorporates clinical oversight and trauma-informed practice throughout daily programming.
Youth receive:
- Access to mental health services
- Emotional regulation skill development
- Therapeutic support embedded in daily structure
- Coordinated care planning with external providers
Healing and parenting development occur simultaneously — not sequentially.
4. Multi-System Advocacy & Coordination
Pregnant and parenting youth are navigating multiple systems simultaneously.
We coordinate with:
- County child welfare agencies
- Courts and probation
- Educational institutions
- Medical providers
- Community-based partners
Our model ensures that no young mother is navigating these systems alone.
5. Transition & Permanency Preparation
The goal of our program is stabilization and forward movement.
We prepare young mothers to:
- Transition to lower levels of care
- Strengthen educational and vocational pathways
- Develop independent living skills
- Maintain safe parenting practices
- Reduce risk of re-entry into foster care systems
Our model is designed to shorten instability — not prolong it.
Why This Model Matters
Pregnant and parenting youth in foster care require specialized residential care that integrates maternal development, infant safety, and therapeutic structure.
By exclusively serving youth ages 13–21, Purposely Chosen delivers focused expertise within a highly regulated STRTP framework.
We do not provide generic care.
We provide therapeutic maternity stabilization designed to preserve families and protect children.
Background & Leadership
Founded in 2006, Purposely Chosen, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and licensed Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) maternity home serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
Purposely Chosen was established to address a highly specialized and underserved population within the child welfare system: pregnant and parenting youth ages 13–21.
We are exclusively dedicated to this population.
While many residential programs serve youth broadly, Purposely Chosen was intentionally developed to meet the unique clinical, developmental, and parenting needs of system-involved young mothers and their infants.
Our mission is to help displaced teen moms keep their babies through non-stigmatizing support, advocacy, and parenting education.
From inception, our focus has been family preservation within the child welfare system — strengthening maternal stability while protecting infant safety.
A Specialized Focus
Pregnant and parenting youth in foster care require more than general residential care.
They require:
- Developmentally responsive therapeutic structure
- Infant safety oversight
- Parenting capacity development
- Maternal health coordination
- Education stabilization
- Multi-system advocacy
Purposely Chosen exists to deliver that specialized care.
Our exclusive focus allows us to operate with depth of expertise rather than breadth of population.
Leadership in Therapeutic Maternity Care
As a licensed STRTP maternity provider, Purposely Chosen operates under state oversight and regulatory standards that ensure structured, accountable care.
Our leadership in therapeutic maternity care is defined by:
- Exclusive service to pregnant and parenting youth ages 13–21
- Integrated maternal and infant stabilization
- Collaboration with county child welfare systems
- Commitment to measurable permanency outcomes
- A model centered on dignity, accountability, and long-term stability
We exist at the intersection of child welfare and maternal health.
By strengthening mothers, we protect infants.
By stabilizing families, we reduce system re-entry.
By investing early, we interrupt generational cycles of foster care involvement.
Learn More About Our Work
Explore our programs and see how we’re making a difference in the lives of young mothers and their babies.