Family and Children's Services of the Waterloo Region

If you suspect child abuse or neglect please call. 519 576 0540 in the Kitchener area, 519 6236970 in the Cambridge area

Foster Care

A child may be separated from their own parents for various reasons and require temporary or long-term care. Foster parents provide a nurturing, healthy and safe environment for a child to grow and develop. Foster children come from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds and range in age from infancy to 16 years.
Foster care is intended to be temporary. This means that we work in specified periods of time towards the goal of helping the child and their family to get back together. It is a team approach, working together with the child, family and social workers to obtain this goal.

To provide a safe home for a child is to make some big inroads in their life. A foster parent might be the largest influence in the child's life. Foster parents may be helping the child to break the destructive patterns which may include physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect. Foster families provide the full spectrum of vital support for children faced with social, behavioral, spiritual and emotional deficits.

to improve the quality of life for a child
to enhance personal skills
to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team with the goal of returning a child to their family
to meet new people with similar interests

People who apply to foster have a great number of reasons for their inquiry. Perhaps you know a family who provides foster care and are interested in providing the same service. Maybe you know someone that was a foster child, or were a foster child yourself. You may be aware of the need for foster families and want to help. You may have some other reasons. We take into consideration people's reasons for wanting to foster to ensure that they are in line with the goals of foster care.

There are many reasons why children come into care of Family and Children's Services. These reasons may include emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, parent unable to provide basic needs of child, family problems and parental problems such as substance abuse, mental health issues or marital problems. As a result of these experiences, children placed in care often have emotional and behavioral challenges. In addition, the foster families often find it difficult to let go when a child returns home.

The rewards are plentiful! As a foster family, you have the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child and provide a very necessary service to the community. You will enhance your knowledge of child development, child care needs and how to respond to them through work with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.

For more information please call:
(519) 576-0540 and ask for a Foster Care Recruitment Worker
or email us at foster.adoption@facswaterloo.org

a community where all children can grow up safe, healthy, and loved

200 Ardelt Ave., Kitchener, ON, N2C 2L9168 Hespeler Rd., Cambridge, ON, N1R 6V7
phone: (519)576-0540fax: (519)576-4709 email: inquiries@facswaterloo.org