Foster parents arespecial people says Dixon

New Glasgow - There are currently 110 children in the foster care program, but only 26 permanent homes available.
The children range in age from infants just out of the hospital until they're 16 years old. Some of the kids are high needs because of their life experiences, but many are just normal, everyday kids. They all have one thing in common, says foster care worker Rhoda Dixon.
"They all need nurturing and love," says Dixon.
Foster families come in all shapes and sizes, from single parents, newly-married couples, retired people, empty nesters and homes where both parents work.
"It takes a special person to be a foster parent," says Dixon. "They're very humble. They're not looking for the limelight - they do it over and over again and they don't want praise."
Foster parents need to be able to welcome the children in with their own families. They don't do it for the money - that's a common misconception, says Anne Blandford, executive director of the Children's Aid Society. Foster parents receive $14 a day for the care of a child under age 12, while they receive $22 for a teenager.
"These are families that open their homes and hearts to these children," Blandford said. "We can provide opportunities to these kids and help them change their lives. But ultimately it's the foster families - they're the ones who see the child 24 hours a day, they are their parents. They're the ones who make changes to the lives of these children."
In Nova Scotia, foster children have the opportunity to stay in foster care, once they're in the system, until they're 19 - an age that is extended to 21 if they're in school. Foster families are encouraged to form a lifelong bond with the children.
This week is foster care week in Nova Scotia, thanking foster families for the time and love they offer to children in need.