Foster Care

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Foster parents come in all shapes and sizes. Some are single parents, some are married or living with a common-law spouse. Some don't have children or are older and their children have moved away. You don't have to be a parent, but it helps to have had some experience with children. We find that the children who come into our care require a lot of attention and your experiences with children would definitely be an asset.

We subscribe to the Ontario Human Rights Code and do not discriminate foster parents on basis of age (though over 18 is a must), gender, sexual orientation, marital status etc.

In addition to affection, supervision and guidance, foster parents take on the responsibility to provide stability, structure and consistency for their foster children. Patience, compassion, optimism, humour, and understanding are all assets that contribute to a loving, nurturing environment for a child. The desire to help a child, an understanding of the needs of children and a demonstrated willingness to learn are all essential in building a relationship with a foster child.

In terms of stability, we are looking for homes where you are managing your life with the fewest stresses as possible.

This can mean a number of things:

You don't have to be wealthy. You can even be on assistance, but you are not stressed or worried about your financial situation. Adding a child to your home would not cause a financial burden.

If you are thinking about moving, or have recently moved, then this is not the time to add a child to your home. Wait a few months, let things settle, then call us back.

If you're involved in some family situations (divorce, poor health of family member, separation, recent loss, behaviour problems) then now may not be a good time to foster. You are probably already busy with things that require your attention and adding a child to your home would take you away from those other situations. It would not be fair to you or the foster child.

You may be considering starting a family of your own. This could be through natural means or alternative means ( in vitro fertilization, adoptions, artificial insemination). Either way, your attention and energies are directed to those priorities and the needs and demands of a foster child may stretch your limits.

Foster children require stability more than anything. The above examples are some of the reasons that may make your situation not a stable one for a foster child. Each situation is different and we will speak with you about your individual circumstance. We do recognize that all families experience minor stresses and regular worries. It is the big ones that concern us as we do not want you to become over stressed with the extra demands of foster children and the child welfare system.

To qualify as a foster family, a household must provide the following general requirements:

• a bed of his or her own for each foster child and adequate personal space
• a child's bedroom must have a window
• no child can sleep in a building detached from the home, an unfinished attic, unfinished basement or a stairway hall;
• each child is to have a bed corresponding to the age and size of the child; a clean mattress and appropriate bedding for the weather and climate;
• each child is to have appropriate space to store personal belongings;
• no child is to share a bed or sleeping room of any adult couple or adult of the opposite sex unless the needs of an infant or illness of a child require this arrangement; no child over six years of age is to share a bedroom with another child of the opposite sex.

• no more than four foster children will be placed in a foster home at any given time<
• no more than two children can be under the age of two 
• foster parents must be able to meet the physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and special needs of the children in the home
• in the case where both parents work, approved day care is required

The Ministry of Community and Social Services stipulates safety regulations that every foster home must comply to ensure the safety and protection of children. These include:

• access to a telephone
• all weapons to be inoperable and inaccessible to children at all times
• a smoke and a carbon monoxide detector
• evacuation plan for home in case of fire, etc.

Further information on safety requirements can be obtained from the social worker preparing the homestudy.



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