| Date Posted: | May 20, 2025 | |
| Closing Date: | Dec 31, 2025 |
| Location: | Alberta | |
| Status: | Unspecified |
Description
Foster Children in Alberta need a place to call home.
You can be the difference; become a Foster Parent with Closer to Home.
Why Foster with Us?
- Comprehensive training and ongoing support.
- On-call, 24/7 assistance from our experienced staff.
- Closer to Home has over 30 years of experience providing Foster Care services to the Calgary Region and now in the Southern Region of Alberta.
Closer to Home Foster Care Fact Sheet - Get to know Our Program:
Becoming a professional Caregiver is a big decision. The following are frequently asked
questions and answers about fostering.
What is Foster Care?
Foster
care is the full-time, temporary care of a child in your home with the
goal of the child returning to parental care. If this is
not possible, extended family (kinship) or alternative permanent
caregivers are immediately explored. Children in Foster Care are
under the delegated care and supervision of the Government of Alberta.
How Does Foster Care Differ From Adoption?
Foster care is temporary, while adoption is permanent. Parents who adopt a child assume full parental responsibility and
become the child’s legal family.
Why do Children need Foster Families?
Children in Foster Care range in age from newborn to 17 years and come from a variety of cultural, religious and
socio-economic backgrounds.
These children
have been temporarily removed from their families due to significant
risk factors and need a safe, nurturing and
structured place to call home while their families work toward
reunification. Many children in Foster Care have experienced trauma
and often demonstrate behaviours and/or delays in developmental
milestones that are indicative of abuse and neglect.
Qualifications
The most important criteria for becoming a
Professional Caregivers are:
• Caring about the well-being of children, youth and
families.
• Being able to meet the physical, social, emotional and
spiritual needs of children and youth.
• Being open to learning and working with a team.
Approval of foster parents is not based on
the following:
• Marital status
• Parenting experience
• Family composition
• Home ownership
• Ethnicity
• Religious affiliation
• Sexual gender diversity
• Education level
• Age
All applicants must meet the following criteria:
• Meet all requirements to be a licensed Foster Parent.
• Have a home that meets all legislated licensing requirements.
• Be physically, emotionally and financially stable (while Foster Parents receive a per diem rate per child in their home, they must be
financially stable and living within their current means without counting on Foster Care per diems as part of their regular income).
• All family members must be committed to fostering.
• All adults living in the home must complete a Criminal Record Check, including a Vulnerable Sector Search and Child Intervention
Record Check.
Criminal and Intervention Records Check is done online and can accessed at https://www.calgary.ca/cps/public-services/police-information-checks-cost-and-payment.html. There is no fee for this, and a Foster Care Coordinator will help complete and submit this check
Responsibilities
As a Foster Parent, you’ll provide a safe, loving, and nurturing home for children
and youth in our province. Your care can make a life-changing difference, with the
ultimate goal of helping families reunite.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Foster Parent?
At Closer to Home, our Foster Parent’s are seen as Professional Caregivers. A Professional Caregiver’s role is to provide children
needing Foster Care with a temporary, safe, and loving environment. They can experience stable, healthy family dynamics and learn
positive life skills in this healthy environment.
Some of the Roles and Responsibilities are (but not limited to):
• Taking care of the day-to-day needs of the child residing in your care, including the child’s physical, emotional, spiritual and
cultural needs.
• Working as a team member with the child, the child’s parents and extended family, support networks, Closer to Home, the
child’s Child Intervention Practitioner (Children’s Services), and all other professionals and natural supports as required.
• Supporting and facilitating appropriate contact between the family and the child.
• Assisting the child in understanding, maintaining and developing cultural identity and pride by supporting involvement with
their family and/or child-specific cultural events.
• Balancing inviting the child to be part of your family while respecting and promoting their connection to their family.
• Documenting and communicating with the Child Intervention Practitioner, Closer to Home, and the child’s family.
• Participating in planning meetings for the child’s ongoing care with a focus on reunification with parents, relatives or a
cultural community member.
Term Of Appointment
What training is required before becoming a professional caregiver?
• CPR and First Aid certification is a requirement. Closer to Home does not provide this training.
• Completion of the PRIDE Foundations for Caregiver Support. This is a 10-session e-learning course and is a mandatory
requirement from Children’s Services.
• Teaching Family Model Pre-Service Training through Closer to Home.
**Further training may be required based on the age range of children placed in the home.
Do Foster Parents need to be able to drive and have a vehicle?
Yes. The primary caregiver must have a valid Alberta license and access to a registered vehicle with 2 million dollars of liability
insurance to transport children to medical appointments, specialists, school, therapy, and family visits.
How long does it take to get approved to be a Foster Parent?
To become a Foster Parent, you will undergo extensive screening and assessment. This onboarding process can take between 3
to 6 months.
How To Apply
Be part of a child’s story.
Are you interested in becoming a Foster Parent? Let's Chat!
Go to the Closer to Home website and complete the pre-screening application. A Foster Care Coordinator will review your application and contact you to discuss becoming a Foster Parent.
To learn more, contact us at 403-543-0550
or via email to fostercare@closertohome.com
Visit our website for additional information: closertohome.com