Dear editor,
I believe the Government of Alberta’s Children and Youth Services is failing to provide adequate care to children in foster care, their families and foster families. High caseloads, insufficient caseworker training and compensation, a combination of unstable and ineffective agency management and a lack of resources plague the foster care systems. As a result, children who were removed from their homes for basic protection actually suffer continuing harm in care.
The government must improve the performance of the foster care system. Promoting strong and vibrant communities starts where children and youth are valued, nurtured and loved, so they will develop to their potential and are supported by enduring relationships, healthy families and safe communities. As I see it, this is simply not working. I cannot understand how the Government of Alberta Children and Youth Services accept this.
The children in care their families and foster families are not just numbers, not animals; they are humans whom deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Foster families, foster children and their families are getting lost within the system that was developed to support and protect them.
It is undeniable that children who reach permanent placement earlier in their lives are significantly better than those who have a more extended stay in foster care. I think it is clear that the foster care system has continually failed to protect and improve the lives of our most vulnerable citizens. Our government needs to invest more into programs and initiatives aimed at helping to speed up children’s exit from foster care. For example, helping families stay together while keeping children safe, finding the relatives of a child in foster care, increasing support for grandparents and other relative caregivers, improving support for young people who age out of foster care, promote healing for the family and adoption initiatives campaigns for older children. The result of these efforts would be a significant decrease in the number of children in the foster care system. As a result, caseloads would be decreased, caseworkers would no longer be overwhelmed, and children would benefit from adequate case management.
I have met many good foster parents who have quit. They are good, honest people who were not willing to be part of a team that doesn’t support enhancement for the families in need. I have also met many good foster parents that continue the humble work they do, but they are just as exhausted, under paid and overwhelmed as the caseworkers which develops into inadequate care for the children. The children deserve more than their basic needs met. The system lacks any family healing process.
I believe that changes to the foster care system need to start by the Government of Alberta Children and Youth Services, together with the Child & Family Services Authorities and Delegated First Nations Agencies taking accountability, learning from the mistakes made and listening to the people, not ignoring them.
Cathy Evarts, Whitecourt, Alberta
