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A2 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, July 28, 2006 Foster families desperately needed in Halton: CAS By Melanie Cummings EUAL ic rHE CHAMIPIUNThere's a "desperate" need for more foster homes in Halton. The emphatic adjective used by Halton Childrens Aid Society social worker Anne-Marie Keyes speaks to her con- cern for the current shortfall in this rapidly expanding region. At the moment, there are 114 foster families in Halton. There should be 150. The shortage doesn't mean there are children on waiting lists or living in unsafe conditions, but it does mean that 270 children - ranging in age from newborn to 18 years - in Halton CAS' care aren't necessarily placed in communities familiar to them. \\We e'spet ilth nei tmorre roS ici iainubes'i i onhi i lablon, said Keyes. It's hard enough to have to move out of the family home, but to have to head to a different school and away from friends makes it all the more difficult, she said. Foster parents are especially underrepresented in Oakville and Aldershot, as are culturally- diverse families, said Keyes. In an effort to recruit greater community support for this serv- ice, Keyes put together a book 'Fostering Care' is full of stories from foster children and their caregivers. luil l inspiring relections froi lester children, their care- givers, natural parents and support workers. "These children need us, but not in the way most people think. Often the real task is to teach them how to feel any- thing," wrote one parent volunteer in the book. As much as anecdotal stories provide an experiential understanding of the role foster parents and families play, there are practical considerations too. All foster parents are required to: • Undertake a mandatory training program one night a week over a span of six weeks. It prepares foster parents for the realities of abuse and abandonment faced by the children who will be in their care. • Undergo a police background check • Provide four personal character references • Have a medical exam • Have an intrusive home study, which involves inter- views with each family member as well as the whole clan and a safety inspection, among other reviews According to Keyes the prerequisites are rigorous, but the role is really rewarding. The range of people eligible to be foster parents is as var- ied as the children in need and the types of care. Foster parents can be single, married, with or without children, or grandparents. Caregivers can also choose the gender and age of the children they prefer to care for, plus the type of behaviour they're able to bouse. Some children's par- ents are ill, abusive or in jail and have no other family in the area to take over caring for their kids. Foster care is a last resort. Relatives are sought first, said Keyes. There's a need for ongoing care. The average length chil- dren stay in a foster home is six months but can range from a few days to many years. Other care options also include relief foster care that gives regular foster parents a break, as well as ongoing care on cer- tain weekends of a month to assist natural parents, and on- call short-term emergency placement. Ongoing support is given to foster families too through the Children's Aid and other foster families. Children's Aid pays parents a tax-free, per-day fee and clothing, medication and similar expenses are also covered by the agency "But the real rewards come from seeing children improve physically, and do well in school and in life," said Keyes. By way of example, consider this story from the Fostering Care book: Heather was the first adult a lonely young woman named Cynthia ever trusted. She had a history of skipping school and drinking alcohol and infused curse words into her daily conversations. Now in her twenties and a mom herself, Cynthia credits Heather as the person who taught her to believe in herself and realize her potential. AUTO BODY (ROYAL ATLANTIC) INC. G~ilE® EE IAY BLOW0L T SALE SATURDAY JULY29't & MONDAY JULY 31I NLY! 400 STEELES AVENUE 8ee 615*8034