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What is foster care?
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Who are foster children?
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Can I work when I am fostering?
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Do I get support from the
agency?
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How long will a child stay with
you?
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Do children visit with their
natural families?
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What is the process to become a
foster family?
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How are foster care givers
reimbursed?
1. What is foster care?
The Children's Aid Society is responsible for the safety and protection
of children. Whenever possible, the CAS works to keep children in their
own families. When this is not possible, a child may be brought into the
care of the CAS. Foster care givers provide temporary homes for children
while they are in care. While the legal responsibilities for the child
remain with the CAS, foster families play an important role in the
child's daily life.
2. Who are foster children?
Each child is unique. They are all going through a troubled time or they
would not be coming into care. Some children may have been neglected,
abused, or abandoned. Often they are children who do not want to come
into care. Many children feel guilty about the condition that brought
them into care. Foster families may choose a particular age group to
work with in their home depending on their situation and the age of
their own children.
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3. Can I work when I am
fostering?
We as an agency prefer if one parent is at home. In today's climate we
know that is not always the case. Many of our foster care givers are
working full time.
4. Do I get support
from the agency?
Each foster family will have their own resource worker who is there to
support them. Each child in care also has a support worker who sees the
child and foster parent regularly.
5. How long will a
child stay with you?
Some children are in care for a very short time (days/months) and some
are in care longer. It will depend on their individual situation.
Sometimes foster families make the commitment to raise a child if she/he
is unable to return home. At times foster families have adopted children
who they have developed a bond with and who have become wards of the
courts with no access to their natural families.
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6. Do children
visit their natural families?
Most children have regular visits with their natural family. These
visits can be supervised or unsupervised depending on the situation and
what the court has ordered. Most children also have phone contact with
their family.
7. What is
the process to become a foster family?
After calling your local Children's Aid Society the staff will give you
further details about becoming a foster care giver. Generally you will
be invited to an information night. You also may be called by a foster
family who will tell you about their experience. You may then have an
initial interview with a resource worker. After attending a pre-service
course the resource worker will begin your home study which may take 4-6
visits to your home (each visit lasting about two hours in duration). In
total this process may take 4-6 months. As foster families the agency
will expect that you will continue to take ongoing courses to assist you
in understanding the children in your home.
8. How are foster
care givers reimbursed?
Foster families receive daily, non-taxable compensation for the living
expenses of each foster child in their home. Many other expenses are
also covered, such as clothing, medical and dental costs, school
supplies, recreation expenses and transit fares.
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