Increased payments should attract new foster parents: advocate
A group that helps foster parents in Newfoundland and Labrador is welcoming a boost in government funding, although it warns of a "desperate" need for families to take in children.
Health and Community Services Minister Ross Wiseman said Monday government will spend $1.3 million on foster care in the upcoming fiscal year, and $2.4 million the year beyond that.
'This is not about money. It's about a new vision for foster care.' — Diane Malloy, Foster Families Association
The government has also approved a new system of payments, depending on the age of the child in care. A parent caring for a child under two, for instance, will see payments increase from $523.30 per month to $819 per month in the coming year.
Diane Malloy, executive director of the province's Foster Families Association, said the increases may inspire new families to enlist with the foster care system.
"This is not about money. It's about a new vision for foster care," Malloy said.
"It's about foster parents feeling like their work is valued [and that] the children can be adequately supported. So we're hoping with the announcement, we will also see some increases in people coming forward to become foster parents."
Last year, a shortage of foster parents forced social workers to place children in motels, under the supervision of hired workers, because no other alternatives were available.
Malloy said that there are no children now staying in motels, although about 50 children are being cared for by staff in apartments.
"The difficulty is [that] there's not a choice," she said.
"If a child has to come into care, they have to come into care. You can't leave a child in an environment that's unsafe. So the only option sometimes becomes having them placed in staffed arrangements," Malloy said.
"It's not ideal by anybody's standards ... [but] the children have to be in place somewhere."
The new government rates take effect on June 1.
The measures are part of the Newfoundland and Labrador government's next budget, which will be released on Thursday afternoon.