Foster Families are needed throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. To Foster is to share heart and home with a child/youth.
Foster Families provide a nurturing, supportive home environment for children. Foster Care is meant to be a temporary arrangement to allow birth families to work on a range of challenges that resulted in their child being placed in foster care. All families have problems sometimes and the main goal in most circumstances will be reunification. Foster Families support children/youth’s individuality, cultural connections, spiritual beliefs, sexual orientation etc.
There are some basic criteria that you need to meet to foster:
- 25 years or older; and
- participate in PRIDE Preservice education sessions.
These are the five competencies that individuals must meet to be approved as a foster home:
- Protecting and nurturing children and youth;
- Meeting the developmental needs of children and youth and addressing developmental delays;
- Supporting relationships between children and youth and their families;
- Connecting children and youth to safe nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime; and
- Working as a member of a professional team
Anyone over the age of 16 living in the home will need a CPCC, and anyone over the age of 12 will need to sign the Consent to Release or Obtain Client Information form so a provincial court check can be completed.
Also, if you do not know a commissioner of oaths, you can attend the nearest CSSD office and get the form commissioned before sending your application to the Department for assessment. A police check will be required as well during the process Criminal Records Screening Certificate & Vulnerable Sector Check – Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (gov.nl.ca) .
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the process of becoming a foster parent, please contact us at (709) 754-0213 or at nlffa@nfld.net
