From October 21–25, 2024, Children’s Aid Societies and Indigenous Child and Well-Being Agencies will come together to celebrate Foster Family Appreciation Week. This is a special opportunity to recognize and honour the incredible contributions of Foster Caregivers and their families, who play an essential role in providing homes for children and youth in care, nurturing their identities, and supporting their community and family connections.
At the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAST), we deeply understand the importance of a Foster Caregiver’s role. While more than 90% of work our Agency does is with children, youth and families in their homes, when a child or youth can no longer stay with their family or extended community, Foster Caregivers provide them with a nurturing environment until their family can resume care or an alternative permanency plan is in place.
One of the highlights of Foster Family Appreciation Week is our Foster Parent Recognition Event that’s dedicated to celebrating the commitment of Foster Caregivers who support us at CAST. This special event brings together Foster Caregivers and their families, many of whom have achieved significant milestones in their Foster Caregiver journey – with up to 40 years of service!
In addition to celebrating our current foster families, we are also looking ahead to the future with virtual recruitment events during this week, aimed at engaging and educating potential Foster Caregivers who can support the diverse needs and identities of the children and youth we serve. These virtual events are taking place:
October 22, 2024 from 12:00PM –1:00 PM ET | Register here
October 23, 2024 from 7:00PM –8:00 PM ET | Register here
As we reflect on the importance of this week, we extend our gratitude to all of our Foster Caregivers who demonstrate their daily dedication to supporting children and youth and strengthening families in our shared communities.
We encourage those interested in learning more about becoming a Foster Caregiver to visit our website here, attend one of the events listed above and/or reach out to fostering@torontocas.ca.
