Since 1998, Heritage Families Program has been providing temporary homes to children and youth aged 0-17. To ensure each individual’s needs are met, each child and foster family is paired with a support team, including a Family Team Lead, a Youth Specialist, a Cultural Knowledge Keeper, and a Clinical Lead.
Foster Care is the temporary living arrangement made for a child when Children's Services is unable to quickly locate and support suitable kinship care.
Foster care is the full-time, temporary care of a child in your home. Ideally, a child in foster care returns home to their birth family as soon as possible
Foster Care is the temporary living arrangement made for a child when Children's Services is unable to quickly locate and support suitable kinship care.
Foster care is the full-time, temporary care of a child in your home. Ideally, a child in foster care returns home to their birth family as soon as possible
Who are the children coming into foster care?A child coming into care can be an infant, child or youth under the age of 18. They can be of any gender, sexual orientation, or ethnic background. Some children need short-term placements while others need longer-term living arrangements. Almost all will have experienced some form of trauma from being removed from their home or previous placements.
Children entering foster care may: have experienced abuse, neglect, exposure to family violence or excessive drug or alcohol use be part of a sibling group that needs to be kept together need assistance with keeping connections to their own family, community, heritage, and cultural practices struggle with loss and grief be a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community require help preparing for adulthood Heritage celebrates the youth’s self-concept, identity, and connection to community and culture. |
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Who Can Foster?
The best homes for a foster child are those that provide safety, support and love. Foster families come in all shapes and sizes. Foster caregivers come from all cultural and social backgrounds and are of any relationship status including common-law and same-sex relationships. Foster caregivers are part of a team that supports the best interests of the child – they’re mentors, caregivers, role models and support systems who will provide a temporary family environment for a child.
Suitability will be determined by the best interests of the child, but you must meet the following criteria:
- Resident of Alberta
- Minimum of at least 18-years old
- Demonstrate the capacity to ensure that children and youth are provided with a safe, and secure environment
- Provide a caring and therapeutic environment and a residence suitable for supporting children and youth
- Demonstrate financially stability
Heritage Families ProgramThe Heritage Families Program offers twenty-four hour, home-based care for children and youth. Effective Care Plans are developed and implemented for each child and include the family of origin. In order for this to take place, Heritage Family Services Ltd. carefully selects families who are capable and motivated to provide a stable, growth-producing family environment. These Heritage Families will furnish emotional stability and appropriate care for the child to recoup prior developmental losses, build enduring attachments, and progress normally.
Caregivers at Heritage receive the following:
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Circles (Therapeutic)The Circles program is a therapeutic model of foster care provided by individuals with specialized experience and training. These individuals care for a wide variety of children and adolescents, usually those who experience significant challenges with emotional, behavioral, social, or medical needs. This model of foster care is designed to provide safe and nurturing care to a child or youth in a more structured home environment than typical foster home, with a goal of meeting a young person’s specific needs so that they can be reunited with family.
Therapeutic caregivers at Heritage receive the following:
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Relief Care
Not sure if you're ready to foster? Relief caregivers provide support to foster parents as-needed either in their own home, or in the licensed home. Relief care is a great opportunity to experience fostering without having a placement.
Relief Caregivers at Heritage receive the following supports:
Relief Caregivers at Heritage receive the following supports:
- Competitive Earnings, Tax Free
- Needs-driven training opportunities
- Dedicated support team made up of a Youth Specialist, Cultural Knowledge Keeper, Clinical Lead, and Therapeutic Team Lead
- 24/7 On-Call Support
