INTERESTED IN BECOMING A FOSTER FAMILY?

Foster Families provide a nurturing, supportive home environment for children who are temporarily unable to live with their biological parents. While children enter the care of Child, Youth and Family Services for a variety of reasons, the case plan is almost always reunification with the biological family. Being a foster parent means working as part of a team to ensure the best interests of children are met. The team includes the foster family, birth parents, child, social worker and any other person significant to the child.

What current foster parents would say to those considering fostering:

• "It is one of the most rewarding, fulfilling experience you could ever have. It's not an easy job but it is making a difference. It's not about changing the world but about helping one child at a time." Fronie Blake, Hants Harbour
• "Do it, it's worth every minute of the time you put in.. Every step a child makes while in care, is a step you make because you have helped them take it." Grace Dumaresque, L'Anse au Clair
• "If you have love in your heart, lots of patience and time to give, these are the right reasons to become a foster parent and you can make a difference with almost every child." Shirley Jacobs, Westport
• "I have seen the difference you can make in the lives of children and that is a good feeling. I don't regret one minute of my time as a foster parent even during the difficult periods. Go for it!" Nina Brophy, Springdale

There are three types of care provided by foster families;

• Long term care provides a family environment for children on a daily basis for the duration of their stay in care
• Short term care provides overnight, weekend and respite care
• Child-specific care is provided by an adult(s) who the child already knows such as relative, family friend, a friends parents etc. It is important to note that not all the criteria listed below is required for child-specific homes.

In order to become a foster parent you must be at least 25 years old and be able to provide a certificate of conduct for yourself and any other adults age 18 or over in the home. You will need three references (non-relative)and will also have to have medicals completed. If you are a single person you must have a high school education and if you are a two parent family, one parent must have completed highschool. You must complete a 27 hour training package called PRIDE ( Parents' Resources for Information, Development and Education) which is usually offered over nine weeks. This training package gives you an understanding of the role of a foster parent so that you can make an informed decision and gives the social worker an opportunity to assess your suitability to be a foster family. If you are married, your spouse also has to complete this course.

The goals of the Pride Program are to:

• Meet the protective, developmental, cultural and permanency needs of children placed with foster families and adoptive families.
• Strengthen families, whether they are families of origin, blended families, extended or kinship families, foster families, adoptive families or members of a tribe or clan.
• Strengthen the quality of foster and adoptive services by providing a standardized, structured framework or pre-service training and mutual assessment for foster parent in-service training; and for ongoing professional development.
• Share resources among public and voluntary child welfare agencies, colleges and universities, foster parent and adoptive parent associations, and national child welfare organizations.

PRIDE is based on specific competencies (knowledge and skills) needed to perform successfully the tasks of fostering. The PRIDE Program has established the following five essential competency categories:

• protecting and nurturing children
• meeting children's developmental needs and addressing developmental delays
• supporting relationships between children and their families
• connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime, and
• working as a member of a professional team.

Comments from young people who have lived in foster homes;

• "Foster parents are people, strangers really, who care enough about you as an individual to take you into their homes.... I feel that living with foster families has helped me become a stronger person."
• "What I have learned is that family isn't just the blood that runs in your veins but also the love running in your heart"
• "I just want to say to all foster parents, be consistent. These children have been let down in their lives, if not they wouldn't be in care. They need you to stick it out with them, more than you'll ever know. And always remember, even if the young people in your home push you away they are still learning good things from you and they will take those good things with them.....My experiences have shown me that foster homes are safe and positive place to live. I think it takes a very special person to do the things it takes to be a foster parent."

If you have made a decision that you want to take the first step to becoming a foster family, contact your local Health and Community Services office. For further information, you can also contact the Newfoundland and Labrador Foster Families Association at 754-0213 or toll free 1-877-754-0218