“It was supposed to be a transitioning time in our home for two weeks until he could get to a treatment facility in British Columbia,” she said. “But he was doing so well, children’s aid decided he should stay and we ended up keeping him him for three months.”
That was eight years ago and the pair from Pictou hasn’t looked back. Since then, the family has hosted 14 youth who stayed anywhere from a week to two and a half years.
Nearly 650 foster families in Nova Scotia open their hearts and homes to children in need of a loving, stable home.
Foster Family Appreciation Week runs to Sunday, Oct. 26, and provides an opportunity to thank foster parents for providing safe, loving homes for young Nova Scotians.
"Every young person deserves stability and support in a welcoming home where they can achieve their potential," said Joanne Bernard, Minister of Community Services. "That's why we are interested in recruiting and supporting foster parents from a wide variety of backgrounds."
The number of foster parents in the province has declined by 24 per cent since 2008, while the need for homes for children in care remains steady. This trend is not unique to Nova Scotia, it is an ongoing concern throughout North America.
For Munroe, who meets with other foster care parents in the county once a month, the numbers don’t lie.
“Homes are needed and we don’t have enough,” she said. “If you’ve got a bed, a heart and the means, you can be a foster parent.”
The province said the influence of a foster parent can last for a lifetime. Foster parents can be married or common-law, in a same-sex partnership or single. They may work full-time or part-time, outside or at home.
Munroe noted that there is pre-training for adoption or foster care that consists of a 12-week course. Supplementary PRIDE training is held to help foster parents deal with issues such as teenage development, sexual health and sustaining positive relationship with birth families. But she cautioned potential foster parents to not let the politics scare them away.
“Sometimes it’s emotional and other times it’s happiness when you say goodbye,” she said. “We applied to adopt and we went through same screening, we matched to two of the boys we started to foster care.”
In one case, she remembers reuniting two boys they had been fostering for 14 months with a family member.
“’I’m staying forever!’ was what he told me with a big smile,” said Munroe. “He was so happy to be reunited with the family member. You couldn’t help but be happy. It took 14 months to get there, but it was right time.”
She said that though these kids have been through a lot when you see the love of a child and teach the child grow, there’s nothing more rewarding.
Nova Scotians are encouraged to join the team working to help children safely reunite with a parent, live with extended family or transition to an adoptive family. Those interested in becoming foster parents can call 1-800-565-1884 or visithttp://gov.ns.ca/fostercare.
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