Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

IQALUIT
With 410 Nunavummiut children in foster care and only 200 foster families in Nunavut, the Department of Health and Social Services is appealing to the public to open their hearts and homes.

"I've never seen a community where the need is more apparent," said Mark Arnold, director of social services, to a crowd of close to 15 women and men during a workshop in Iqaluit at Grinnell Place.

The goal of the workshop was to introduce interested potential foster parents to what it means to take a foster child into their care, as well as the process of becoming a foster parent and the assistance foster families get from the department.

Laying out the facts

Of the 410 children in care, 121 of those are in Iqaluit, and close to half of the foster families are in Iqaluit.

A slideshow shown right off the bat made clear the definition of a foster family: a safe, temporary home for a child while families work out their problems.

Many of the interested Iqalummiut in attendance asked questions about what they would be getting into, which case workers and aids were on hand to answer.

Children who are in school would be paired with a working family, if possible, to better fit their schedules; families can pick an age range they are most comfortable with housing; if families want to bring a child on vacation, Health and Social Services will help pay for the child to go along and help get them a passport; if a child is hard to handle, social services will be there to help work out a strategy to help the child transition into his or her new home life.

"At the end of the day, you are not alone," said case worker Abdoul-Karim Diakite.

One woman at the workshop has been fostering children for nearly 30 years. She offered much advice to the interested people in attendance, such as making sure a child knows what they can expect in their new home.

Often coming from chaotic homes, they might not be used to the rules and workings of their new home - be up front with them and make it easy for them to understand and become comfortable, she said.

As well, they might not want to open up right away and they might open up to a foster family member when it's least expected - either way, stay calm, and don't lecture or ask too much of the child. Respect for the child and respect for the child's privacy are paramount.

Hungry children

She noted food insecurity is rampant among the homes foster children come from.

"Almost every child I have ever had, it takes almost three months before the child stops asking, 'What's for supper?'"

Diakite said conflicts rarely arise between foster parents and birth parents, and sometimes good relationships are developed, although Health and Social Services is the mediator for communication between the two.

"Most of the time the (birth) parents are very nice people," he said.

Layne Kelly, a case aid, explained the application to become a foster parent must include three references in the community and a criminal record check.

The forms, and a guide, are available through the department.

Homes must have adequate space, separate rooms for different genders when children are over the age of six, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and must be clean and safe.

A social worker will come by to do a check and interview the parents about their personal histories and parenting styles.

Unilingual Inuktitut children would ideally be placed with Inuit families, but Kelly noted that is not always possible.

We welcome your opinions. Click here to e-mail a letter to the editor.