NOR-2022-AFC-RFI-001 - Agency Foster Care Request for Information

The need for service innovation and an opportunity to increase North Foster Homes:
Agency Foster Care provides a placement option, with an emphasis on cultural supports and community connection to reduce placement disruptions for children. Agency Foster Care understands, where appropriate, services embed culturally focused elements to preserve and promotes child’s cultural identify and recognizes the opportunity for wellness promotion through connectedness to identity, community, language, and culture. It provides another support option and possible cultural connections that potential foster families may prefer, one-step away distance from Ministry that some families are more comfortable with.
There are 168 foster homes in 68 different communities in the North Region, with the vast majority of homes being managed by Children’s Services. Children’s Services has struggled to recruit new foster homes and agencies have not been tasked with recruitment in the North Region. In the North Region, there are 9 licensed agency foster homes, one of which has indicated they will be closing once their last placement turns 18 later this year.
Agency Foster Care has not experienced growth within the North Region and a significant portion of the region’s budget is committed outside of the North. With a lack of foster care options in the North Region, children who are unable to live with Kinship families may be required to move a significant distance from their home community and family. Children and families need to be connected and large geographical distances between placements and community of origin can have detrimental effects to the child, youth and family as a whole. To address this, the North Region is looking to determine interest, resources, and costs to grow the North Agency Foster Care program to ensure skilled families are available for children when they are unable to remain with their family.