Welcome! And congratulations on your decision to become a foster family!
Please take a few minutes and call the Coordinator in your area to find out about the resources and opportunities available to you as a Vancouver Island foster parent. They will be happy to tell you all about the services designed to assist you in your new role as a foster parent and can arranged for delivery or pick-up of your “Welcome to Fostering Goodie Bag” filled with useful information, freebies and discounts.
Victoria – 294-7912
Nanaimo – 390-9686
Campbell River – 286-0555
Or Toll Free – 1888-922-8437
from anywhere in the Vancouver Island Region.
Foster Parent Support Services Society provides the following services to Vancouver Island Region Foster Parents:
Peer Support Groups:
• Opportunities for foster parents to network through the
development, organization and
scheduling of Peer Support Groups, which are meaningful and
effective, and best
meet the needs of foster parents in the VI Region.
Protocol Support Team:
• Support to caregivers involved in protocol processes,
including the organization,
training and supervision of volunteer support workers.
Mentoring Program:
• A Mentor is an experienced foster parent who will act as
a trusted advisor, friend or
support person and reduce the isolation foster parents may
experience. The goals of
mentoring are to increase the retention rate of foster homes,
provide foster parents
with a support network and information, and to help prevent
placement breakdown.
Region-wide Communication:
• The Island Connection—comprehensive newsletter, published
10 times per year and
mailed to all foster parents free of charge.
• Website: http://fpsss.com.
• Area Offices: located in Victoria, Nanaimo and Campbell
River
Area Coordinators:
• There are three Area Coordinators available to assist
foster parents in obtaining
current and accurate information; support services to caregivers
including training and
development, and peer support.
MCFD Team Building Meetings:
• Identification, presentation and management of common issues for caregivers.
On-going Training:
• Opportunities for foster parents to further their skills and knowledge development.
BC Foster Care Education Program:
• The program was
designed to provide standardized education to approved foster
parents who have a family care home agreement with the BC Ministry
of Children and
Family Development. The program commenced in January 2000.
• The BCFCE Program consists of 14 modules totalling 53 hours
of training. These
modules cover a range of foster care topics and are divided into
two sections – Series
1 and Series 2.
Series 1—36 hours
Series 2—17 hours