Foster Parenting: New Brunswick Requirements

Becoming a foster parent in New Brunswick involves a range of steps, from meeting certain qualifications to undergoing training and assessments. Foster care is a protective service for children who cannot live with their birth families due to various challenges, such as abuse, neglect, or other circumstances. In New Brunswick, the Department of Social Development is responsible for providing these protective services. Foster parents play a crucial role in offering a safe, loving, and nurturing environment for children in need, and they work as part of a team that includes the child's family and social workers. While it can be emotionally challenging, fostering is also a rewarding opportunity to make a positive impact on a child's life.

Qualifications and requirements

Foster parents are required to provide a safe, loving, and supportive home for children who are unable to live with their parents. Foster care is a protective service for children and their families when families can no longer care for their children. It is not a way to make money, but it can be one of the most rewarding opportunities to volunteer for.

Foster parents must be able to meet the physical, emotional, and developmental needs of a child. This includes providing 24-hour care and supervision on a daily basis. In addition, foster parents should be financially self-sufficient and have sufficient physical space in their homes to accommodate the child's needs.

Foster parents should also be flexible, patient, and understanding, with good parenting skills and insight into child behaviours. They must be able to work as part of a team, which includes the child, the child's family, the foster care agency, treatment team, and the Family Court. It is important for foster parents to support the child's faith, culture, race, and sexual orientation, as well as their gender identity and expression.

To become a foster parent, individuals must be 21 years of age or older and legal residents of the United States. They must also undergo a criminal record check and a prior contact check with the Department of Social Development. All adults aged 18 and older who live in the prospective foster family's home must be fingerprinted and cleared through the relevant criminal justice and child protection databases.

Foster parents must also complete a home safety check to ensure their homes are free of fire and safety hazards. The home should have sufficient physical space to accommodate the child's needs.

In terms of the process, individuals or families interested in becoming foster parents should first contact a foster care agency and attend an orientation session. After this, they will need to complete an application form and undergo a family assessment, which includes background checks and home safety inspections. Once approved, foster parents will need to complete pre-service training before being certified and matched with a child.

Application process

The first step to becoming a foster parent in New Brunswick is to contact the Department of Social Development. You can do this by calling 1-800-990-0119, or by visiting their website at www.gnb.ca/SocialDevelopment. The department will explain the foster family program in detail and answer any specific questions you may have.

Alternatively, you can contact the New Brunswick Foster Family Association by visiting their website at https://socialsupportsnb.ca/en/program/fostering-child, or by calling 1-833-SDDSTel (1-833-733-7835). The association's president, Nancy Galluchon, suggests that prospective foster parents can try providing "relief" for a few days or a weekend to help current foster families before making a firm commitment.

Once you have decided to proceed, you will need to complete an application form. This may be provided to you by the Department of Social Development or the New Brunswick Foster Family Association, or you may be able to access it online. As part of the application process, you will need to undergo a criminal record check and a prior contact check with the Department of Social Development for anyone 18 years of age and over living in your home.

In addition, you will need to complete a family assessment, sometimes referred to as a "home study." This involves gathering information about each member of your family and formally assessing your capability to care for children. The assessment is typically conducted in group sessions and includes orientation and training. You will be asked to complete a social history and several questionnaires, and the licensing worker will ask you questions about your childhood, relationships, and interests. You will also need to provide three or more references, who will be contacted by mail or phone to assess your capabilities and interests.

Following the family assessment, the licensing worker will complete a written report with recommendations, including information about the children that might be best suited to your family and any additional training you may require. This report will be provided to you and submitted to the licensing agency to have the license issued. In most cases, children cannot be placed in your home until the license has been issued.

Training and preparation

Prospective foster parents in New Brunswick must attend mandatory training to prepare them for the role. This includes a 30-hour TIPS-MAPP (Training for Intervention Procedures – Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting) course. This course is designed to help prospective foster parents understand the foster care system and decide if fostering is right for them and their family. It covers a range of topics, including helping children with attachment issues, birth family connections, and healthy behaviours. The TIPS-MAPP training is a mutual decision-making process, where applicants can opt-out or be selected out if they are deemed unsuitable.

In addition to the training, there are several requirements that must be met to become a foster parent. All adults in the household with caretaker responsibilities must complete the training and licensing process, submit to criminal record checks and fingerprints, and be at least 21 years old. Foster parents must also demonstrate financial stability and have a stable, safe, and nurturing home environment with adequate sleeping space for children.

Foster parents will also receive ongoing support and training from the Department of Social Development, as well as support from local and provincial Foster Family Associations. This support is designed to help foster families navigate the challenges of fostering and provide the best possible care for the children in their homes.

For those interested in becoming foster parents, it is recommended to contact the New Brunswick Foster Family Association or the Department of Social Development to learn more about the process and requirements.

Placement

Foster care provides a child or siblings with a nurturing and supportive alternative home when they are not able to live with their birth family. Some children may require foster care for just a few days or a few weeks, while others may need to live with a foster family for several months or years. The goal is to reunite the child with their family or find a permanent home for them if reunification is not possible.

In New Brunswick, the Department of Social Development is responsible for providing protective services to children who cannot live safely with their families due to abuse or neglect. The Department works with foster families to develop a plan for each child in care, with the ideal outcome being reunification with their family.

Once approved to provide foster care, the Department of Children and Families (DCF) works to find the best match between your family and a foster child. They consider your family's strengths and limitations, as well as the child's personality, background, and emotional or physical needs.

A family resource worker will contact you about taking in a child. You are encouraged to ask questions and discuss the potential placement with your family members. DCF will set up a pre-placement visit if possible, but this may not be feasible for immediate placements.

If you decide to accept a child into your home, you will sign a child placement agreement. This agreement includes information about the child, such as placement reasons, history, medical and psychological needs, family visitation schedule, and transportation needs. It also outlines the responsibilities of all parties involved, including the foster parent, DCF, and the social worker.

After the child has been placed in your home, the family resource worker and the child's social worker will visit to provide information, answer questions, and offer support.

Support and benefits

The New Brunswick Foster Family Association provides support and resources to foster families in the province. The association offers a range of services, including advocacy, outreach activities, and recognition of the important work that foster families do. The association is led by President Nancy Galluchon, who has been a foster parent for 18 years.

Foster families in New Brunswick receive a range of support and benefits to help them provide a safe and nurturing environment for the children in their care. Firstly, foster families receive monthly funding and benefits to cover the costs of food, clothing, lodging, and other expenses for each child in their care. This ensures that foster parents are not financially burdened by the additional costs of caring for a child. Additionally, medical and dental costs for the children are also covered, so foster parents can rest assured that the children's health needs are taken care of.

Foster families also receive training and ongoing support from the Department of Social Development. This includes help in developing a plan for each child in care, with the goal of reuniting them with their families or finding a permanent placement if reunification is not possible. The department works closely with foster families to ensure the best interests of the children are always prioritised. Furthermore, foster families can also seek support from both the local and provincial Foster Family Associations, providing them with a network of resources and connections.

For those interested in becoming foster parents, there is the option to provide "relief" for a few days or a weekend to help current foster families. This allows prospective foster parents to try out fostering without making a long-term commitment. This can be a great way to dip your toes into the world of fostering and see if it is the right fit for you and your family.

Frequently asked questions