Foster Care

Foster care provides safe, loving and nurturing homes for children and youth who are unable to be in their birth families because of a family crisis, physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect, substance abuse or parent/adolescent conflict.

The foster care program is offered by the Family and Children Services agency or the district office of the Department of Community Services in your area. Community Services provides the policy, procedures and guidelines for the operation of the program.

Foster parents receive:

• Guidance from local foster care social workers
• Group support through local and provincial foster parent organizations
• Ongoing training
• Financial support

Foster parent eligibility

Foster parents must be stable, healthy and mature adults who enjoy children or youth. Foster parents must be caring, understanding, patient, adaptable and able to "hang in there" without expecting immediate results and rewards. Being a foster parent is not for everyone and needs to be discussed with members of your household.

Recruitment, pre-assessment and foster parent education services are delivered regionally through Foster Care Resource teams located at district offices of the Department of Community Services.

Next steps

Please contact our toll-free line at  1-800-565-1884 to attend a foster family information session at a regional offices of the Department of Community Services. You will be provided with the information that you and your family will need before making a decision about applying to become a foster parent.

Foster family assessment and approval is provided by the local Children and Family Services Agency or district office of the Department of Community Services through an interactive assessment process.

Pre-service training is provide for all potential foster family applicants to ensure that families have the knowledge that they require to make a conscientious decision regarding an application to foster.

Related information

• Children and Family Services Act
• Children and Family Services Regulations
• Foster Family Thank-you card (PDF)