Resource Families
The Primary Resource
Newborns, teenagers, and even sibling groups who are unable to remain in their family home all need love, nurturing, and a safe place to live where their most basic childhood needs can be met.
Resource Families (also called ‘Foster Families’) are Child and Family Services of Western Manitoba’s primary resource for these children. Resource parents work in partnership with social workers, other professionals, and the child’s birth parents to give children the best support possible. CFS of Western Manitoba’s foster families receive ongoing training and support in dealing with the challenges and rewards of fostering.
For more information about becoming a resource family, email fostering@cfswestern.mb.ca or call 204-726-7190 (toll free 1-800-483-8980).
Become a Foster Parent!
We are looking for new foster/resource parents to foster love, foster hope and make a difference in a child’s life right now.
- Help support a family by providing a safe, loving environment while their family’s situation is being worked through.
- We will provide you with the training to become a trauma informed, trauma competent resource parent to children who come from hard places.
- Foster care for children can be for a variety of reasons and lengths of time, from respite, Emergency, short term, long term.
Change a life today! For more information about becoming a foster parent for a child in Westman, email fostering@cfswestern.mb.ca or call 204-726-7190 (toll free 1-800-483-8980).
Resource Family Eligibility
Resource parents are at least 18 years old – male or female. They are married, single, divorced or widowed. They are fluent in English and may be bilingual. They may come from different cultural backgrounds. They may rent or own their home, be retired, or employed outside the home. Resource parents can have no children or children of their own.
Our Agency’s belief is that family-based care is vital to children and our resource families are the key link in meeting the needs of these children.
Children in Need of Care & Support
Children need to be placed with resource families that can open their hearts and homes to meet the child’s needs and right to be cared for safely. When coming into Agency care is required, children feel their world is turned upside down. They can feel scared, confused, hurt, powerless, and lost. Some children have experienced neglect, abuse, abandonment, and/or exposure to domestic violence. Their previous experiences and feelings can lead to behavioural and emotional difficulties.
Where Resource Families Fit
CFS of Western Manitoba is responsible to plan for children when their safety is compromised in their home. These children, impacted by family crisis, are in need of temporary homes and families who can provide safe, healthy, and stable homes. Being a resource family means offering daily care, direction, and a sense of belonging for the resource child. Ultimately, the goal of our Agency, in part through this resource care, is to have children return to their parental homes.
When this is not possible, our Agency is also responsible to ensure each child’s right to a lasting and loving home is realized. This can include family or kin placements, family guardianship, adoption, long term resource care, or preparation for independence.
Resource Family/Parent FAQ’s
Q: How are resource parents compensated?
A: There are a number of approved methods for financially compensating resource parents.
Basic Maintenance Rate reimburses resource parents for expenses incurred meeting day-to-day needs of resource children and is set based on the age of the child:
- Per diem rate is $22.11 for resource parenting children ages 0-10.
- Per diem rate is $27.45 for resource parenting children ages 11-17.
Special Rate compensate resource parents based on their demonstrated abilities to meet the needs of a specific child.
Q: What support is available to families?
A: CFS of Western Manitoba provides individual and ongoing support via the resource families’ support worker. Training via workshops, conferences, and accredited courses is also made available to resource parents.
Q: What is it like to be a resource parent?
A: Resource parenting, just like regular parenting, can be challenging yet very rewarding.
Q: Who are the children?
A: A child can be of any gender between newborn and 18. Coming into Agency care means an interruption in a child’s attachment with their natural parents or caregivers and sometimes these traumatized children have special needs that may include behavioural, emotional, or learning disabilities. They require care, nurturing, comfort, security, and stability. As well, often the Agency needs resource homes that can accept sibling groups.
Q: I have a previous criminal record. Am I ineligible?
A: Discuss your criminal record with a social worker. Any positive results of a criminal record check are evaluated as part of a home assessment. Convictions that include violence, threats, and/or actions reflecting poor judgment and potentially compromising child safety would point to ineligibility for acceptance as a resource parent/family.