foster care
What is foster care?
Foster Care is providing full time or respite care of a child in your home for a temporary period of time when a child cannot safely live with his/her family.
What is Respite Care?
Respite Care is providing temporary care of a foster child in your home or in the foster home for a brief time to provide the foster family with the opportunity to run errands, attend training or a meeting, or to take a well deserved break.
What is Kinship Care?
Kinship Care is provided by a member of the child's extended family or close family friend when the child's immediate family is unable to care for him/her.
Who are the children in foster care?
- They range in age from INFANTS to TEENS
- They cross all ethnic and economic lines
- Many have been impacted by domestic violence, alcohol, and drugs
We need homes for:
- Children between the ages of 0-16 years
- Children with special needs (developmental, educational, and emotional)
- Aboriginal children
- Sibling groups
Can I choose the child placed in our home?
We believe parents know best their strengths and limitations and know what type of child would best fit into their family.
What about the costs of caring for a child?
Foster parents are paid a daily allowance to meet the child's basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing and allowance. Medical, dental and education costs are covered by the Southeast Alberta Child and Family Services Authority. Additional funding may be available for mileage and recreation, and other services as deemed necessary.
The rates are determined by the age of the child and the level of training and experience the foster parents acquire.
The basic maintenance rate is a per diem that covers all of the child's day to day costs. Those items to be purchased by the Foster Parent using the basic maintenance include:
- Food
- Clothing
- Personal care items (toiletries and hared care products)
- General household costs (wear and tear, cleaning, paper supplies, insurance)
- Spending allowance (minor recreation, toys, magazines, records and gifts)
- Transportation for us to 100km/month per child for activities centered on the child
- Gifts to the foster child
Some of these categories (example: clothing, spending allowance) have minimum amounts that a Foster Parent is required to allocate from their basic maintenance on a monthly and weekly basis for a child.
The basic maintenance rates are as follows and are paid per child per day: (Rates are subject to change)
| Age: | Rates: |
| 0-1 | $21.67 |
| 2-5 | $23.92 |
| 6-8 | $25.98 |
| 9-11 | $27.31 |
| 12-15 | $30.58 |
| 16-17 | $34.58 |
Basic maintenance is paid for the day of placement but not for the day the child leaves the home except when the child has been home for less than 60 days.
Skill Fees
Skill fees are paid to foster parents as a compensation for their level of training and expertise in caring for a child. The skill fee is expected to be used to offset the cost of relief.
Skill fees are paid for the day that a child is placed. If the placement is for 60 days or less, the skill fee is also paid for the day the child leaves. If the placement is longer than 60 days, the skill fee is not paid for the day the child leaves.
The skill fees are as follows and are paid per child per day: (Rates are subject to change)
| Skill: | Fee: |
| Level 1 | $13.50 |
| Level 2 | $26.00 |
What resources are in place to help me?
Resources to assist you may include: On-going Training, Foster Care Support Workers, Support Groups, Associations (The Alberta Foster Parent Association), Special Aides and Enhanced Supports.
Foster Family Development Coordinator
If you have any questions about fostering or adopting a child, please contact the Foster Family Development Coordinator at 403-527-1588 or at medicinehat@mcman.com
