Resource Parents
Resource parents are people who are willing to open their hearts and homes to provide care to children in need. Some children / young people need to live in foster care for a short period of time and others need a permanent home. Some children cannot return home to live with their parents and they move from the resource parent’s home to a guardianship placement and adoptive families.
Resource parents are expected to:
- offer a safe and secure home where children / young people feel valued, respected and cared for.
- provide a supportive and stable family for children who cannot live with their birth parents until family problems are resolved.
- work with social services staff to reunite the child with birth parents.
- provide care to many different children.
- take a close interest in the lives of the children / young people.
- setting appropriate boundaries, teaching them how to behave while understanding and appreciating the uniqueness of each child / young person.
When children / young people must live in foster care, they do not forget about their biological parents and extended family. Resource parents are likely to have contact with birth parents and extended family members. As a resource parent you will also have contact with several professionals involved in the child / young person’s life e.g. social workers, grandparents and teachers.
Resource parents are required to
- abide by policies and procedures as identified in the initial training.
- participate in training, as required by regulation.
- engage in positive, respectful communication with birth family.
- participate in home visits with social workers.
- transport child to appointments.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A RESOURCE PARENT
If there is an interest in becoming a resource parent (previously known as foster parent) please fill out the the information below. Once this communication is receive by the TOT staff, the social work department will be in contact.