| Myths | Reality |
| People who are single can’t become foster caregivers. | Yes you can! We have single caregivers fostering now. |
| If applicants are both working, they can’t become foster caregivers. | Yes they can! Many foster caregivers work full-time. In some cases, like with infants or children needing extra support, a consistent caregiver at home is required. |
| Is it true that you can't foster if you have a history of mental health issues like depression? | Each situation is assessed at the time of your application to foster. People with a history of mental health problems are not ruled out just because of that – other factors come into consideration. |
| If you’ve had any contact with the child welfare system – even if you were yourself previously in foster care – you can’t be a foster caregiver. | Again, each situation is assessed during the application process. Even if you were previously investigated by the agency, depending on the circumstances, you may still be able to become a foster caregiver. |
| If you’ve never had children of your own, you can’t become a foster caregiver. | Yes, you can! It does help to have some experience working with children but people who haven’t parented their own children can be excellent foster caregivers. |
| If you are 2SLGBTQIA+, you can’t be a foster caregiver. | Yes, you can! Diversity and inclusion are important values in our agency, and 2SLGBTQIA+ foster caregivers are welcomed. |
| All the children who are placed with foster caregivers are very difficult and disruptive. | The children placed in foster care have experienced trauma and loss. Sometimes they are not able to talk about what they need so it shows in their behaviours. Foster caregivers receive training and ongoing support to help them support the children in their homes. |
| Once you are a foster caregiver, there is little or no support for you. | Not true! You will be assigned a Resource Worker who will support you. You are also eligible for the agency’s Employee Assistance Program which provides access to services related to work, health and life concerns. |
| If you are FNIM (First Nation, Inuit or Metis) or from a culture or background that makes you a minority in Canada, you can’t become a foster caregiver. | Yes, you can! In fact, we seek to match children to foster homes with similar backgrounds. Since our client population is very diverse, we need a diverse group of foster caregivers as well. |
| Most of the children coming into foster care are babies. | Children come into foster care at all ages, and the numbers are constantly fluctuating. Sometimes we do have many babies, other times we have more teens than any other age group. |
| Being a foster caregiver is very expensive; you have to pay for a lot of things out of your own pocket. | Foster caregivers are paid a daily board rate and funding for items such as clothing and school supplies. |
