Procedure to become a foster family

There are a number of steps and formalities involved in recruiting foster families. A person who would like to become a foster family must, for example:

• Collect the documents required for the review of their file (references, medical certificate, certificate of financial solvency, proof that they do not have a criminal record, etc.).
• Cooperate with the public institution during their assessment (personal skills, abilities and competencies, home assessment, etc.).

If your file meets the requirements, you will sign an agreement with the public institution in your region.This agreement will allow you to foster a child who needs a new living environment. The institution will take the child’s or teenager’s characteristics and your characteristics into account to ensure the best possible match.

Contact the public institution in your region for the recruitment procedure.

If you would like to become a foster family, contact the institution in charge in your region which will inform you of the next steps.

In Quebec, every year, many children and young people need to be welcomed into a warm and caring home. However, there is a regular shortage of foster families to meet the demand.

Being a foster family means:

• making a difference in the life of a child or young person;
• helping them thrive;
• offering them safety and stability;
• being their point of reference;
• transmitting the family’s values to them;
• feeling useful;
• contributing to society.

Foster families receive a monthly remuneration for each young person placed with them. Some expenses may be reimbursed if the foster family obtains prior authorization from the institution and provides supporting documents.

The remuneration and reimbursements are established based on various factors and vary depending on the situation. Part of the remuneration depends on the level of services the foster family must provide for the young person.

The terms of payment and the calculation of the amounts paid are set out in the agreement between the foster family and the institution.

Each foster family is represented by an association, which, in particular:

• defends the economic, social, moral and professional interests of the foster families they represent;
• negotiates and concludes collective agreements;
• supports a foster family by offering it a supportive, experience‑sharing community.