What is Foster Care?
Foster Care is temporary care provided for children and young people by approved volunteer caregivers when the child’s family is not able to care for them. When children are unable to live at home for various reasons, the first choice of placement is with relatives or someone they know but when this is not possible these children rely on individuals and families to open their hearts and their homes. Where possible, children are reunited with their parents as quickly as possible. In some instances it may not be possible for children to return to their parents and they may need to be in foster care until a permanent placement is arranged. Children may require foster care for many reasons including: • a crisis or emergency situation, such as illness, high stress or family issue; • when parents need a break from caring for their children and require support in their parenting role e.g. when the child has a disability or a single parent has no other supports; • when there are issues of abus
Foster care is the oppurtunity to provide a temporary home to children who are under the guardianship of the state and cannot live with their birth parents. These children are in the care of the state because they have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Every child wants and deserves a permanent home and family. In foster care, the goal is to help foster children return to their birth families. When children cannot go home, an adoptive family is sought. Many foster families adopt the children for whom they have been caring. Back to Top Foster Parents are people just like you. They are … • Married or single. • Parents of little children, teens, or adults, or adults with no children. • Working outside the home or in the home. • At least twenty-one (21) years of age. • From various cultural, ethnic, or religious backgrounds. • Financially stable. (Foster parents will receive reimbursements for food, shelter, clothing, and an allowance for each foster child. Medical costs are paid by t
Foster Parents and their families provide a stable and supportive home environment for children who are in need of a safe, temporary place to live. Some families cannot provide long term care for their children. Some parents cannot adequately care for their children and some homes are not safe for children to return to. Many children come into the care of a Children’s Aid Society on temporary basis and are able to return home to their family once the stress at home has been alleviated. But some children must remain in care for longer, some permanently. These children and youth need permanent foster care or an adoption placement.
