Become a foster caregiver

Overview

Foster care is the full-time, temporary care of a child in your home. Ideally, a child in foster care is returned home to their own family as soon as possible.

When returning home isn’t possible, alternate care plans are made to place the child with a relative or community member through one of the following:

Who are the children coming into foster care?

A child coming into care can be an infant, child or youth under the age of 18, of any gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic background. Some children need longer-term placements and others need short-term placements Almost all will have experienced some form of trauma from being removed from their home or previous placements.

Children entering foster care may:

have experienced abuse, neglect, exposure to family violence or excessive drug or alcohol use
be part of a sibling group that needs to be kept together
need assistance with keeping connections to their own family, community, cultural background and heritage
struggle with issues surrounding loss and grief
have issues around gender identity or sexual orientation
require help preparing for adulthood

When does a child come into care?

A caseworker from Children’s Services (CS) or a Delegated First Nation Agency (DFNA) becomes involved with a child’s family when:

the family seeks help because of difficulty protecting or caring for their child, or
a member of the community reports a concern about a child’s safety or well-being

After meeting with the family and assessing the child’s and family’s needs, the caseworker makes recommendations about further involvement with the family. Only when all reasonable attempts to protect and meet the child’s needs within the family have failed or when the child’s safety is threatened will the child come into care.

Role of a foster caregiver

Children living in foster care are like all other children and require love, comfort, security and stability. Alberta’s foster care program is based on the belief that family and community are the most beneficial and desirable environments for raising a child. Whenever possible, a child in foster care should live in a culturally-appropriate home.

Foster caregivers:

take care of the day-to-day needs of the child residing in their care, including the child’s physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs
work as a team member with the child, the child’s parents and extended family, support network, the child’s caseworker, and other professionals
adjust themselves around the child’s needs – the child should not be expected change to fit the family’s needs; this is part of the fostering experience
complete foster care training that enhances and develops their parenting skills
participate in planning meetings for the child’s ongoing care
support and facilitate appropriate contact between the family and the child

Learn more

Foster Care Handbook

Foster and kinship caregiver stories

Eligibility

Foster caregivers come from all cultural and social backgrounds and are of any relationship status including common-law and same-sex relationships. Foster caregivers are part of a team that supports the best interests of the child – they’re mentors, caregivers, role models and support systems who will provide a temporary family environment for a child.

To apply, you must meet the following criteria:

resident of Alberta
at least 18-years old; the maximum age will be determined by the best interests of the child
in a stable relationship for at least 12 months prior to applying, if cohabitating
physically and mentally capable of safely caring for children with no major illness or trauma in the past 12 months
have a residence separate and apart from other caregivers
financially stable

Foster caregivers cannot:

have become responsible for an additional child in the past year, and/or
be currently expecting an additional child through pregnancy or adoption

Support for caregivers

Support for foster caregivers is provided through government caregiver programs and staff, agencies, other caregivers and the Alberta Foster Kinship Association.

These include, but are not limited to:

compensation
ongoing contacts and visits from a support worker and the child’s caseworker
training
resources for respite and child care
peer support
support groups
conferences and recognition events

Learn more about compensation rates, training and other supports.

How to apply

Step 1. Contact us

To find out about becoming a foster caregiver, contact your local Children’s Services office or Delegated First Nation Agency who will assign a worker to help you through the application process.

Step 2. Application process

During the screening and placement process, you will complete the following:

Application form
Home Study
Intervention Record Check
Criminal Record Check
Medical reference
Personal references
Environmental Safety Assessment
Orientation to Caregiver Training sessions

For more information, refer to the Foster Care Handbook.

Step 3. Licensing

Upon approval, you’ll be issued a foster home licence and assigned a foster care support worker who will provide ongoing support and training.
Licenses are issued annually to demonstrate your ability to safely care for children in your home.

For more information, refer to the Foster Care Handbook.

After your home is licensed

After a home is licensed, the foster caregivers and children in care receive ongoing contact and supports. This includes:

Reviews

New homes are reassessed six months after they’re licensed and annually thereafter.

Caseworker contact with child and caregiver

Caseworkers have regular contact with the child and caregiver, especially in the early days of placement.

Training

Ongoing training is required to support caregivers in the fostering process. Learning about how to meet the different needs of infants, children and youth can be challenging and exciting. A learning plan is developed for each caregiver family to assist in providing the best possible care for the child coming into care.