Foster Care

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How to Apply

Whether you are applying to foster or adopt, the process is essentially the same.  The Ministry of Child and Youth Services has streamlined the process for both types of applications and has introduced a new training and home study format that will be used to educate and assess potential families.

The first step is to contact a Recruitment Worker from Family and Children's Services. The worker will speak to you about your current situation and answer any questions you may have about foster care.  An information package will then be sent to you.  Should you be interested in pursuing fostering, please complete the Application form found in the package and submit it to the Recruitment Worker.  An appointment will then be scheduled to meet with you in your home to further discuss fostering and answer any questions that you might  have. 

You will then be registered for the next PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) Pre-Service training for foster and adoptive parents.  This training is a standardized training being offered to all foster parents throughout the province of Ontario.  It is a mandatory requirement to complete this training program.  This nine session training is an informative, thought and feeling provoking look at adoption and fostering. The training assists you in looking at the issues involved in adopting and fostering, the impact on your own family and how to care for the children who are placed in your home.

During the course of the pre-service training, you will be asked to complete a questionnaire and submit supporting documentation, including police record checks, medical references and five character reference letters. You will be assigned to a Recruitment Worker, who will conduct your homestudy.  In most instances the homestudy interviews will occur concurrently to the PRIDE training. 

Effective December 4, 2006 all adoption and foster home studies conducted by CAS’s will use a format called SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation).  The SAFE homestudy is a mutual process that evaluates the capacities of the applicants for adoptive and fostering parenthood and relates these to the needs of the children.  It involves the discussion of important issues pertaining to parenting and invites applicants to examine their own beliefs, values and feelings. The homestudy process includes 4-5 interviews including a home safety inspection. The interviews focus on family backgrounds, motivation for fostering &/or adoption, couple relationship (if applicable), financial circumstances and experience with children. The process also assists the applicants to become aware of what fostering and adoption involves, how adoptive parenthood differs from biological parenthood and prepares the applicants for the process best suited to the applicant.

We are looking for families, couples or individuals who have proven problem-solving abilities and can provide patient, skilled parenting and a stable secure environment for foster children.  Being able to accept differences is vital in reinforcing a child's self-esteem and feeling of belonging within the foster family.  Flexibility and a sense of humour are also qualities sought in foster parents.

Obviously, you will want to know what our decision is. Usually if something doesn't quite fit and we believe we have to decline your application, we will let you know rather quickly and try to meet with you face-to-face to explain to you why we believe that fostering is not a good idea at this time. You have the right to appeal the decision and there are channels to mediate your appeal.

When you are approved to foster, you will be assigned to a Foster Care Resource Worker who will best try to match a child to your family. This match would be made based on the information provided by your family through the Homestudy process. For example, you may decide that your skills and family could best help a pre-school child on a short term basis. The Resource Worker also acts to support the foster family in their role as a foster family. There is also a great deal of training available to foster parents on a variety of issues.

The time put into the assessment process is necessary so that both parties are fully aware of the potential of the family for foster care. As well, the more information that we know, the better the chances that we can make a successful match of a child in your home.

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