The Children's Aid Society (CAS) is responsible for the safety and protection of children. Wherever possible, the CAS works to keep children in their own family. When this is not possible, a child may be brought into the care of the CAS. Foster care is the first choice in these situations because most children's needs are best met in a family environment. Foster parents provide a temporary home for children who are in the care of the CAS. Children may need foster care for just a few days, a week, several months or possibly years. Foster parents work with CAS staff as part of a team to develop a plan for each child in care. The ideal plan is usually to reunite a child with their family. Where this is not possible, the plan may include adoption or long-term foster care. Foster parents provide stability and a caring home that encourages a child's growth and development. While the legal responsibility for the child remains with the agency, foster parents play an important role in the child's daily life.

Who are Foster Children?

• Each foster child is unique.
• There is no typical foster child.
• Some are voluntarily placed in the society's care while others are in foster care by court order.
• Some may come into care because their is a conflict within the family or because of a parent's illness.
• Some may come into care because the family cannot provide adequate care or the necessities of life. 
• Others may have been neglected, abused or abandoned.
• Foster children range in age from infancy to 18 years and come from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds.
• Many foster children are teenagers; some are brothers and sisters.
• Some foster children face physical, emotional and mental challenges.
• Each foster child is going through a troubled period in his family life and needs the care offered by foster parents.
• Many require not only warmth and acceptance but consistency, structure and behaviour management.

Who are Foster Parents?

Foster parents come from all walks of life and a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They may be:

• experienced parents whose family has grown
• young couples who become foster parents while raising their own children
• older couples
• single persons
• parents with training in child care or related professions
• people with no special background in child care
• All have a genuine interest in children and a sense of community responsibility. They enjoy the challenge presented by foster care.