FAQs

Below you will find some of the most frequently asked questions about foster care and Key Assets Fostering. For any further information that you are unable to find through this website, please contact us today and speak to someone from the Key Assets Fostering team.

1. What is the difference between fostering with a Children’s Aid Society or the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services, and fostering with an agency like Key Assets Fostering?

Children’s Aid Societies in Ontarioare government-empowered bodies that are ultimately responsible for the wellbeing of all children in public care in each province. It is up to these organizations to find the best fostering placements for these children and youth.

Independent Fostering Agencies like Key Assets Fostering provide services to Children’s Aid Societies partnership with them. We provide specialized foster care and have our own foster parents, Social Workers, Child and Youth Counsellors, Education Liaison Officers and Therapists who work to support children and young people referred to Key Assets Fostering often due to their complex needs.

Find out more about our foster parent support services.

2. Who can apply to become a foster parent?

Anyone can apply to become a foster parent with Key Assets Fostering. We recruit foster parents of all backgrounds and cultures who are single, married, co-habiting, divorced, gay, lesbian and heterosexual. We also recruit foster parents from many different religions and a variety of ethnic groups.

To become a foster parent with Key Assets Fostering, you need to satisfy certain requirements:

  • You must have enough room in your house to comfortably accommodate a child or young person, as well as their personal belongings.
  • You must be over the age of 21.
  • You must be able to commit to fostering on a full time basis. (Exclusions may apply. Contact us for further information.)

Find out more about who can foster with Key Assets Fostering.

3. Would a previous criminal conviction prevent someone from fostering?

A criminal conviction from your past would not necessarily disqualify you from fostering. It all depends on the nature of the conviction and when it occurred. It is standard procedure for us to check criminal records through Vulnerable Sector Police Screening at an early stage in the application process so we would need you to discuss any convictions with us as soon as possible. All information shared with Key Assets Fostering remains strictly confidential at all times.

4. What sort of checks are carried out on me and my home?

As a part of the assessment to foster, all applicants and members of the applicants’ household are subject to Vulnerable Sector Police Screening. Checks will also be carried out with child and family services in any jurisdictions in which you have previously lived to ascertain whether or not you are known to them.
A medical examination must also be undertaken by your General Practitioner to ensure that you are fit and healthy for the demanding task of fostering. Three to five references are required to foster with Key Assets Fostering, and these can come from family, friends, colleagues or neighbours. Safety checks will also need to be taken out on your home.

5. If I am going to be the main foster parent, do you need to carry out checks on my partner?

At Key Assets Fostering, we consider all couples living together to be partners in the fostering process, so we would require that you both have the necessary checks and training and that you both take part in the assessment process. Even if you are the main foster parent, anyone sharing your home will have some involvement in and influence on the fostering task.

We will also need to carry out the necessary checks on all adult members of the household.

6. Can a child I foster share a bedroom with one of my own children?

Key Assets Fostering will only place a child or youth in a home where there is enough space to accommodate them and their personal belongings comfortably. Ideally, the children placed with Key Assets Fostering will have their own bedroom in the home for the benefit of their personal privacy, unless they are a sibling group.

7. Can I still go out to work and be a foster parent?

In certain situations you may be able to continue to work while fostering, depending upon your specific circumstances. For example, you might own a home-run business and be in the house during the day. Key Assets Fostering makes every effort to be flexible to your circumstances while ensuring that the delivery of secure and high quality foster care remains our top priority.

Key Assets Fostering foster parents are part of a professional and dedicated team of support workers and we offer competitive fostering fees and allowances and support, including relief and respite.

8. Can I choose how long I want children and young people to stay with me?

As part of the assessment process, your Key Assets Fostering Social Worker will discuss the different types of fostering placements with you, and help you to decide which types of placement would suit you best. But it is important to understand that it’s not always possible to know when a child will move on at the beginning of a placement.

9. Can I choose which age group or gender I would prefer to foster?

It is possible to have some say in the age group or gender of the child you foster. You do need to bear in mind, however, that traditionally the majority of children referred to Key Assets Fostering have been teenagers, or in the 9-10 year age group. If you are relying on income from fostering, you are far more likely to have continuous placements if you are willing to take teenagers as well as younger children.

Children and youth taken into foster care in Canada can be in any age group, from birth to 18 years old.

10. How much will I know about the child or young person before they are placed with me?

We discuss every placement with our foster parents and it is your decision as to whether to take a young person. We will provide you with as much information about the young person and their background as is available to us, including any difficult behaviour and how to manage it.

You do need to be aware that sometimes we can have very little information ourselves, especially in the event of an emergency. However, wherever possible, we will seek to find out as much information as we can.

11. Who is responsible for taking the children to school and to the doctor, etc?

We would normally expect foster parents to hold the responsibility for transporting children and young people to their appointments. If you have a particular problem, your Social Worker will endeavour to make alternative arrangements where possible.

12. Are we allowed to spank foster children?

Key Assets Fostering does not permit spanking foster children, or utilizing any other form of corporal punishment. Key Assets Fostering provides comprehensive training to all of our foster parents on alternative and effective ways to cope with difficult behaviour.

Fostering regulations state that spanking, slapping, shaking, or any other form of corporal punishment, is not permitted.

13. What sort of help would I get with a child who has special needs or a disability?

If you take a child with ongoing medical requirements or physical disabilities, these will be explained to you in depth before the placement begins. Once the placement has begun, you will have access to comprehensive training and support services from Key Assets Fostering as well as periods of respite.

14. How much fee/allowance will I receive and how is this decided?

The fostering fee and allowance depends upon the type of fostering placement you take but is set at a competitive rate. Please contact us to find out more.

15. What does the fee/allowance cover?

Whatever your fostering payment, it should cover a weekly allowance for each child or youth as well as living costs such as food, clothes, basic travel and household bills. There is also a compensation element for the foster parent in recognition of the demands of the fostering task.

16. If I decide to apply, how long will I have to wait before I begin having placements?

The length of the assessment process is usually around 3 – 4 months. However, this may increase depending upon the complexity of your personal circumstances and the speed with which checks and references are received.

Once your decision to foster has been recommended and confirmed, you can begin taking placements. Your Social Worker will act as your point of contact during this time.

17. How do I find out more?

For more information about becoming a foster parent with Key Assets Fostering, contact your local office today.
 

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