How to Become a Foster Parent

The initial step is the enquiry stage where either you or your partner phone or visit CAS to ask about fostering. It is at this point that questions of a general nature are answered. If you are still interested, you may then be involved in a joint interview with our Foster Assessment Worker where mutual expectations are explored – what CAS would expect of you as a foster parent and what you could expect of CAS. Also, at this stage, your motivation for fostering would be explored – we would want to know your perceptions of caring for a child that will be in your home on a temporary basis and we would want you to compare the perceptions to the reality. Additionally, we would be interested in questions of a highly personal nature – your finances, your relationship with each other, with your family and with your community. These factors will reflect on your ability to care for a foster child.

From there we would go on to an orientation session, possibly in a group setting. After the initial orientation, you would be given an application and medical forms. If it is still your decision to proceed, the Foster Assessment Worker would set up individual interviews with each adult member of your family and then with the family as a whole. During the course of these meetings, we are required to assess your home in terms of safety – fire alarms, exits in case of fire, storage of firearms, well testing for rural homes, etc. Also, there are certain minimum standards that must be met in terms of actual physical space in order to care for a foster child.

When joint, initial orientation, individual and family meetings are completed, one aspect of the homestudy will have been completed. Concurrently, we will be checking references (a minimum of three), your medicals, and a police check. Once your home has been approved, you will be required to attend additional training sessions such as Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education (PRIDE).

A lengthy process – yes! However, these standards are required by the Ministry of Community and Social Services – they are designed to protect the children in our care and to protect the interests of those who care for them – our foster parents.

In point form, the process consists of:

1. Enquiry
2. Joint interview
3. Orientation Meeting
4. Individual Interviews
5. Family Interview
6. Reference Checks
7. Policy Check
8. Additional orientation (PRIDE training) sessions

If you are a resident of Lanark County or The Town of Smiths Falls and would like information about becoming a foster family with our Society, please contact our Resources Department by email or by phone 613-264-9991 or 1-866-664-9991.

If you are a resident in other counties of eastern Ontario please check the website: www.fosteradoptwinningkids.com