What is Foster Care?
Children’s Aid Societies strive to keep children living with their families whenever possible. Unfortunately, even after receiving counselling and help, some parents cannot provide their children with adequate care. In situations like these, children may be brought into the care of a CAS. Reunification is the primary goal even when a child is in care.
Foster families provide a temporary home
The length of stay in a foster home may vary depending on the children’s natural family’s circumstances. A placement in foster care may last for a few days to several years. Foster families work together with CAS staff to develop a plan for each child in care. When a reunion is not possible, the plan may include adoption or long-term foster care. Foster families play an essential role in the child’s daily life. The safe, stable and caring home environment that foster families provide, helps encourage healthy growth and development.
Each foster child is different
Foster children range in age from infants to 18 years, and come from a variety of cultural, racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Some children are in foster care voluntarily, while others are in care by court order. There are many reasons why a child may come into care. Some of the reasons might be due to family conflict, physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect or emotional harm. Each foster child is experiencing a difficult time in his or her life, and needs the warmth, acceptance, consistency and structure a foster family can provide. Most foster children have visits and telephone calls with their own families and need support from foster families while they deal with feelings of loss through separation, which causes confusion.
Why be a Foster Parent?
Fostering a family is a wonderful, character building, life changing experience. Fostering is a way to strengthen family ties. Each family member works together to build a caring, supportive home for a foster child, which not only helps that foster child, but strengthens their own family unit as well.
The gifts that are returned to you and your family are not material. They are more valuable - wonderful memories and knowing that you made a difference.
As a Foster Parent you:
- Improve the quality of life for a child
- Obtain professional development
- Enhance your skills so that you can enrich a child's life
- Network with other foster parents for support in the care process
- Work as a part of the team integrating the child back into his or her family