St. Amant to find 10 emergency beds for CFS children with disabilities
Kids between the ages of eight and 17 would use these beds for a maximum of six month placements
Winnipeg's St. Amant centre is joining in the struggle to find emergency foster placements outside of hotels in Manitoba.
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Their goal is to open up 10 emergency-placement beds for high-needs kids with a disability or autism specifically, in homes known to the centre to have experience dealing with such circumstances.
St. Amant is a not-for-profit organization in Winnipeg, offering a wide range of services to individuals with disabilities, and their families.
"We're looking at recruiting some people who already have skills and expertise and experience working with people with disabilities," said Leanne Fenez, the director of St. Amant's Community Residential Program.
The maximum length of a placement would be six months, Fenez said, while CFS finds a more permanent solution, whether that be another placement or returning to their families.
"We're looking for a stable family who have patience, who are willing to nurture children from the ages of eight to 17, who may come with some unique needs," Fenez said.
Families offering the emergency beds would work with the support of the already-existing support staff at St. Amant.
"So really they would be joining a team of people who would wrap around this child and provide a safe place and plan for the future," Fenez said.
Fenez said St. Amant would work as a financial intermediary for CFS, paying families with emergency beds themselves and then St. Amant will recoup the money from the province.