Foster Care
Foster care provides safe, loving and nurturing homes for Nova Scotian 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.
Foster families are asked to open their homes and hearts to the unique and individual needs of infants, children, and youth and provide them with strength and support until their biological family situation is made safe again or an alterative solution is found.
The goal of family foster care is to provide opportunities for healing, growth, and development, leading to healthier infants, children, youth, and families.
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 are young and old, married or single, with or without children. Successful foster parents are 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.
Learn more
Foster Family Appreciation Week contest winners.
- Why do kids need Foster Care?
- The different kinds of fostering
- Training to be a Foster Parent
- Financial support for Foster Parents
- The process of becoming a Foster Parent
- Respite Foster Families
Respite foster families temporarily take over
from full time foster families and other families for short periods of time. - Foster Care Appreciation Week Art and Poetry Contest Winners