Information on Foster Parenting in British Columbia

Responsibilities

• Foster parents are expected to provide the necessities of life for children under their care, including food, shelter and clothing, and must provide a separate bed for each child. Foster parents are expected to provide care appropriate for the child's needs, including culture-specific support. They must collaborate with the child's support worker in developing a plan for the children's care; the two must meet regularly to discuss changes in the child's development and in the home situation. Where appropriate, they must also facilitate meetings between the child and either his family or cultural community.

Becoming a Foster Parent

• In order to become a foster parent, an individual must be at least 19 years of age. Potential foster parents first contact a resource social worker in their region, who will question them to determine their intentions and ability to care for a foster child. They must then attend an informational session with other potential foster parents to learn about the specifics of the job; willing participants proceed to an 18-hour pre-service orientation session. They may then formally apply to be a foster parent. Their application must include three supporting references, one of whom must be a relative. Potential foster parents undergo a home-study assessment, which includes a doctor check-up, a criminal record check and review, and a series of interviews with a social worker. Applicants who pass these checks sign a Family Care Home contract to become certified foster parents.

Levels

• There are five levels of foster care: restricted, regular, and three levels of specialized care. Restricted foster care usually involves a child placed with a member of their extended family; these caregivers are recruited directly in order to care for a specific child or sibling group. Regular foster home care provides for up to six children to whom the foster parents are not related. Specialized family care is used for children with physical, mental, emotional or behavioral challenges. Specialized Care Level 1 (S1) comprises a foster family that cares for up to six children with developmental needs and challenging behaviors. S2 homes care for up to three children with complicated developmental needs or health needs, and/or behaviors that interfere with daily functioning. S3 homes care for up to two children with extensive physical or mental health problems, including children who require tube feeding, and those who present a danger to themselves or others.

Rates

• Foster parents receive monthly payments to care for children. The basic monthly care rate in 2009 was $803.82 for children 11 and under, and $909.95 for children 12 to 19. Foster parents providing specialized care receive additional payments over and above the basic rate. For S1 homes, these payments are $458.02/month per child regardless of age. In S2 and S3 homes, payments for a second or third child are based on a declining payment structure. Thus, in S2 homes, the monthly rate for a single child is $1140.40; for two children, $1968.68; for three children, $2692.92. In S3 homes, the monthly rate for a single child is $1816.66, and for two children, $3113.12.

Support

• Foster parents receive support and educational resources from the Ministry. The Ministry staffs a Foster Parent Support Line to allow foster parents to call for assistance. They also fund In Your Grasp, an online resource database. There are also support organizations run by foster parents. The largest of these is the BC Federation of Foster Parent Associations; it provides training, social activities and support groups. Foster parents may also direct complaints or concerns to the ombudsperson, the public guardian and trustee, or the BC representative for children and youth, all of whom advocate on behalf of foster parents and children in the government and legal system.

Aboriginal Foster Care

• Foster parents who care for aboriginal children must meet additional requirements. Foster parents must be aboriginal, although they need not have official status or live on a reserve. The Ministry gives priority to foster parents from the same nation as the foster child because it wants the child to remain connected to her culture. Aboriginal foster parents receive support from the the Federation of Aboriginal Foster Parents.