Urgent Need for Foster Families in
Alberta: Many Albertans Already
Have the Everyday Skills and Strength to Help Children in
Foster Care to Thrive
EDMONTON, AB, Oct. 2, 2024
/CNW/ - October is Foster and Kinship Caregiver month in
Alberta and a group of foster care
agencies operating in Edmonton are
encouraging Albertans to consider becoming foster caregivers, while
also providing accurate information related to the foster care
system in Alberta.
LoveStrong, an association of seven foster agencies supported by
Alberta's Ministry of Children and
Family Services, empowers individuals to transform lives and build
stronger communities through fostering to ensure every child has a
stable environment. By recruiting compassionate and dedicated
caregivers, they advocate for long-term solutions so that families
and communities thrive together through strength, love, and
connection.
In Edmonton, there simply are
not enough foster caregivers, with many current foster caregivers
ending their journey. There are fewer families in the line to step
up and fill the need for strong foster caregivers.
"Fostering is more than just opening your home; it's about
opening your heart and creating stability for children during a
time of uncertainty," says Michelle
Meadahl, Committee Member, LoveStrong. "Every child deserves
a home where they feel safe and supported, and foster caregivers
are crucial to making that a reality."
While becoming a foster family comes with a commitment, it is
also an opportunity to help shape the life of a child who needs
support. Many potential foster families believe they need special
skills or background to be able to become a foster family. The
truth is many people already have the needed skills from their
everyday life.
"There's this myth that special skills or even infinite patience
is needed to become a foster family," says Chris Larsen, Committee Member, LoveStrong. "If
you have children of your own, if you are a coach, a teacher, a
mentor or can open your home and your heart, you likely already
have the skills to be a foster caregiver and support a foster
child. What this campaign is about is telling people that they are
already fostering in some way, they already have the skills, the
strength and the experience to be successful, and we need their
help."
Many myths continue to persist about foster care, including the
skills needed to succeed. The reality is that many people have the
necessary skills already through everyday experiences. Further,
many believe that fostering is a long-term or even permanent
commitment. In truth, foster care is generally temporary, with the
goal of reuniting children with their families. Lastly, there is
the idea that foster families are left to navigate challenges on
their own. In fact, foster caregivers receive ongoing support,
training and resources from social workers and agencies to help
them through their fostering journey.
Foster families provide temporary care for children and youth
who cannot safely remain in their own homes due to family
circumstances. Foster families create a nurturing environment where
children can heal, grow and reach their potential.
The priority is always for the child to be safely reunited with
their family. The overarching goal of foster care is to provide the
highest quality of care for a child while creating space for the
family to focus on their healing process and the foster caregivers
act as a bridge to continuing connections.
While fostering itself may be temporary, it can develop a
lifelong relationship between the child, their family and the
foster family. The foster caregivers may become additional aunts,
uncles, grandparents or simply be treated like family and can
continue a strong relationship with the child, even after the child
has been returned to their family.
"Fostering has strengthened our family bond in ways I never
anticipated," says Charlaine Pare,
an Edmonton foster caregiver.
"I've seen kids come in withdrawn and scared and leave with
confidence and hope. It's amazing to witness. If you have the
capacity to love and the willingness to be a stable presence in a
child's life, I urge you to consider fostering. You don't need to
be perfect. You just need to be willing to love."
With more children in need of safe and supportive homes,
fostering provides a life-changing opportunity to make a difference
in a child's life. Foster families are provided compensation and
ongoing and accessible supports to help them to navigate situations
with the foster child. Foster families remain connected to social
workers and other support workers throughout their fostering
journey.
For more information on becoming a foster caregiver, please
visit: www.lovestrong.ca
About the LoveStrong Foster Connection
The LoveStrong Foster Connection is an association of seven
foster agencies supported by the Ministry of Children and Family
Services based in Edmonton,
Alberta. LoveStrong empowers individuals to transform lives
and build stronger communities through fostering to ensure every
child has a stable environment. By recruiting compassionate and
dedicated parents, they advocate for long-term solutions so that
families and communities thrive together through strength, love,
and connection. LoveStrong also works to reduce the misconceptions
around the foster care system by combatting outdated myths about
foster care and providing the latest and up to date information
about the system and how it works.
SOURCE LoveStrong Foster Connection