Supports for Foster Parents
Financial Support
Foster parents receive automatic monthly room and board payments to help with the costs of caring for the child placed in their home. The monthly payment is intended to cover the costs for food and personal items the child needs while in the foster home. There are also reimbursements provided for the child’s clothing, allowance, gifts, school supplies, glasses, recreational activities and childcare as well as any special requirements such as prescription and non-prescription medications and other items when needed. Reimbursements are, however, delayed – meaning in some instances the foster parent(s) will spend the money out of pocket and then be reimbursed within a couple of weeks.
Foster parents also receive a monthly level fee based on their experience, skills and availability for placements. For more information on financial support to foster parents, please discuss with your Resource social worker.
Training & Education
We offer foster parents several training opportunities to give them the confidence and knowledge to handle most situations they are faced with.
The PRIDE (Parent Resource, Information, Development and Education) In-service course is a nine session program that helps foster parents gain a greater appreciation of what it means to care for a child who is unable to live with his or her own family, the situations you will face as a foster parent and what it will be like to work as a team member within a child protection service.
Other courses include Trauma-Informed Care, First Aid Certification, and the PRIDE In-service course, which is seven sessions.
Social Work Support
Each child and youth in care has a social worker assigned to them that is responsible for providing support to the child. The child’s social worker is responsible for developing a Care Plan for the child that ensures their emotional, physical, social, educational and cultural needs are being met. This social worker would be the contact and liaison between any professionals involved with the child.
Each foster family has a social worker assigned to them as their Resource social worker. This worker is responsible for managing the foster home, assessing their capacity for placements and ensuring they are being supported and developing competencies. The Resource social worker is the primary contact for the foster parents and would have weekly phone contact and monthly visits to their home.
After Hours Support
A Resource social worker or Supervisor is available during regular office hours Monday to Friday, (8:30am to 5:00pm). There is after-hours support available when emergency situations arise after regular office hours and on holiday and weekends by calling the local after-hours number. The after-hours support number is 1-902-368-6868.
PEI Federation of Foster Families
In 1983, the PEI Federation of Foster Families (“the Federation”) was established as an independent non-governmental body that is run by foster parents, for foster parents, in order to serve and support each other as caregivers. The Federation provides the collective voice for foster parents throughout Prince Edward Island with the objective of maintaining a partnership and clear lines of communication between foster parents and staff of Child and Family Services staff, on behalf of children requiring foster care. The Federation collaborates with the Canadian Foster Family Association (“CFFA”), whose mandate is to provide a voice for foster families across Canada and to foster collaboration amongst provincial and territorial foster family associations, as well as organizations involved with children in care in order to enhance foster care across Canada.
Child and Family Services recognizes the need for a program that is premised on a supportive and collaborative partnership between the Department and foster parents in order to ensure the best outcomes for Island children. Child and Family Services further recognizes that support for foster families has a direct impact on outcomes for children in care.
Foster parents have monthly “cluster” meetings at their local Child and Family Services offices. These meetings are coordinated by Resource social workers and are used to provide information but also as a vessel for peer support and mentorship amongst the fostering community.