Foster parents have received a bad reputation from movies, TV shows and the media in general.

“They only do it for the money…”, “They treat the kids worse their own family did…”, etc. These are some of the statements we often hear on social media. This is unfortunate because it could not be further from the truth. What is true is that if any CAS or agency has a low threshold for accepting foster parents then those statements can become true.

Annie’s Havens goes above and beyond the requirements of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. Year-after-year we are told by all of our CAS partners and the Ministry that we have some of the very best foster homes they’ve come across. The video on this tab gives an overview of one foster parent’s experience. Her process is slightly different than Annie’s Havens so click below for the details on how it works with us.

It can seem daunting to start the foster parent application process. Therefore, look at it as a small series of steps that get you qualified and prepared to accept children into your home. It will feel less overwhelming because you mentally break down the process.

Being better prepared for the challenges facing children coming into care is essential to the application process and orientation training. Most of all, a safe home is also a major point of focus while we move along with the application. When we conduct background checks, the goal is to eliminate (as best as possible) individuals who have a prior history of child protection concerns or criminality.

Here are the main four stages of the application process:

• Interview / Initial Home Survey
• Complete and Submit Application Documents
• Home Study (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation)
• Training