Foster Care
Foster Care provides a safe family environment to children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, or life-threatening conditions.
Types of Foster Care available:
- Emergency – immediate care for children on short notice any time of the day or night.
- Short-term – provides care and prepares children for transition to their families, extended family or another permanent home.
- Long-term – care for children who are unable to return to their natural families.
- Therapeutic – care for children and youth who have a range of behavioural, social, developmental and/or other special needs.
1. Benefits
Financial Support
Once a child is placed in their home, foster families receive ongoing financial support from the Ministry of Social Services. The payment allows foster parents to provide for physical needs including:
- Food
- Shelter
- Clothing
- Personal items
- Transportation
- Recreation
Additional funds may be available for expenses such as sports, music lessons, cultural activities and other special needs.
Foster parents who are caring for children with significant behavioural or medical needs may require additional funds beyond the basic compensation rates.
Medical Support
Children in foster care are entitled to receive supplementary medical services, which provides for most health needs, including prescription medication, eye care and dental services.
Training
As part of the family assessment home study process, prospective foster parents participate in PRIDE (Parent Resources for Information, Development and Education) Training. PRIDE is a competency-based model of practice implemented by the Ministry of Social Services to aid in the development and support of foster families.
PRIDE focuses on:
- Protecting and nurturing children;
- Meeting children’s developmental needs and addressing developmental delays;
- Supporting relationships between children and their families;
- Connecting children to safe, nurturing relationships intended to last a lifetime; and
- Working as a member of a professional team.
Support
Once a child is placed in their home, foster families receive ongoing support from Social Services and from the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association. Local meetings and support groups give new foster families an opportunity to discuss questions or concerns with experienced foster families.
2. Eligibility
Foster families come from a diverse range of cultural, educational and economic backgrounds. There is a significant need for Indigenous families who can help children maintain their cultural identities.
Foster Family caregivers may be:
- single, married or living common-law;
- any race or ethnicity;
- with or without children of their own;
- a renter or homeowner; and
- experienced with or willing to learn about children with special needs.
All foster care applicants must complete:
- a criminal record check (applies to all adults living in the home); and
- a child protection screening, having no current or recent child protection history.
3. How to apply
Call the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association (SFFA) toll-free at 1-800-667-7002.
Steps to becoming a foster parent include:
- An initial consultation with a foster care caseworker;
- A criminal record check;
- Providing medical information and references;
- Participating in a family assessment home study with foster care caseworkers; and
- Completing Foster Parent PRIDE Pre-Service Training.
4. Further Information
Related documents for Foster Care are available in the Publications Centre.