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Foster system a top priority, says Harpauer.
Improving the foster care system is one of the provincial government’s top goals, says Social Services Minister Donna Harpauer, recently reappointed to the post.
“It’s a very high priority,” Harpauer said.
The number of adults willing to offer their home to foster children is diminishing, from a previous high of more than 700 to the current 590, say officials. Social workers and foster families still face heavy loads at times.
There are signs of hope, say Harpauer and others. More and more children are being placed with close relatives, curbing the demand for foster arrangements and providing the best possible environment for the child, Harpauer said.
“We’ve been relatively successful in that. Nevertheless, it still is a challenge” Harpauer said.
Harpauer who was named to her second term as minister of social services in this month’s cabinet shuffle, attended the 40th anniversary dinner of the Saskatchewan Foster Families Association at the Radisson Hotel.
She said everyone should be grateful for the service provided by foster families. They care for the most vulnerable members of society at the most critical times.
The government has done a good job of helping foster families in recent years, but there is much more work to do, said Saskatchewan Foster Families Association executive director Deb Davies.
“We’ve seen the support, but there’s always more that can be done,” Davies said.
For more than a decade, Saskatchewan has been a leader in supporting foster families. There is now 24-hour social work support for foster homes. Parents get first aid and CPR training. Saskatchewan is one of the only provinces that provides cost of living increases for foster families, Davies said.
“We are in many ways the leaders,” she said.
Couples are often both working out of the home, making it harder to find foster families, Davies said. This problem is not unique to Saskatchewan, but is particularly acute in places with booming economies, she said.
Work is still needed on recruitment, but they are also paying attention to the retention of those already fostering.
“It can be very difficult, but foster families strengthen families,” she said.
On the other hand, many younger couples — including a number of same-sex couples — are now involved, she said.
“That warms my heart. We would like to welcome everyone to consider it,” she said.