Children in Care
Who Are Children in Care?
Children in care are commonly called foster children. Each foster child is unique. There is no "typical" foster child. Some are voluntarily placed in the Society's care, while others are in foster care by court order. Some may come into care because there is a conflict within the family or because of a parent's illness. Some may come into care because the family cannot provide adequate care or the necessities of life for a variety of reasons. Others may have been neglected, abused or abandoned.
Foster children range in age from infancy to 18 years and come from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Many foster children are teenagers; some are brothers and sisters. Some foster children face physical, emotional or mental challenges. Each foster child is going through a troubled period in family life and needs the care offered by Foster Parents. Many require not only warmth and acceptance, but consistency, structure and behavioural management.
Being a foster family is not without its challenges. A child or youth who is in the care of The Children's Aid Society is experience a difficult time in his or her life. Children are often not able to express their true sentiments ore make sense of their lives when they are severely disrupted. As a result, it is not uncommon for children in care to exhibit a range of challenging behaviours. A child may be prone to temper tantrums, exhibit sneaky behaviour, tell lies and talk back. A child may be severely withdrawn or have great difficulty bonding with members of your family.
Length of care
Children can be in the care of CAS for short or long periods of time depending on individual family’s circumstances. This could mean one day or as long as up to the time they are able to live on their own.
The decision to admit a child into care is not taken lightly.