Fostering changes futures, join us today…is the theme of the Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society’s new foster parent recruitment campaign. The campaign, which is being launched this month, is an effort to address the agency’s urgent need for family-based care for teens, some of whom have complex needs, as well as children and sibling groups. This theme will serve as a back drop for radio, print and TV ads as well as social media messages posted by the Society on Twitter and Facebook.
The campaign is being implemented in response to a rising number of children coming into the care of KHCAS and a steady decrease in the number of available foster families. In 2011/12 the Society had 146 homes, in 2016-17 that number had declined to 108 and only 10 of those homes will take children over the age of 12. Of those ten homes, six are currently full and four already have one child placed with them. As of March 31, 2017, there were 231 children in the care of KHCAS and 29 of those young people over the age of 12 reside in group or outside paid foster care not associated with the Society.
KHCAS is committed to placing children and youth who come into their care in family-based foster care with the intention of achieving permanency as soon as possible. The need for foster parents is urgent.
The goal of the campaign is to recruit 20 approved foster families by the end of March, 2018 with six of those families willing to support children over the age of 12. Support services would be provided to foster families to assist them to meet the needs of the young people they welcome into their home.
Two of the Society’s current foster parents and one former youth in care are participating in the Fostering Changes Futures campaign by recording radio and TV ads that will be aired on Country 105, Energy 99.7, Oldies 96.7 and CHEX TV this summer and fall. The ads provide an opportunity for the public to hear directly from families and youth about the rewards of fostering and the valuable contribution that foster families make on a daily basis.
“We urge the public to learn more about the campaign and about the importance a foster parent might play in the life of a child. For more information, follow KHCAS on twitter (@KHChildrensaid) or Facebook (KHChildrensAid), check out the information on our website, www.khcas.on.ca, or contact Tania Nanni, 1-800-661-2843, ext. 1221 at KHCAS who will answer your foster care questions. You might be the one who changes a young person’s future by calling today”, said Jennifer Wilson, Executive Director for KHCAS.
