Foster parents needed in Iqaluit: child and family services

A group in Iqaluit is calling for more foster parents in the city.

Jessica Shabtai, who works for the local chapter of children and family services, says there are more than 100 children in foster care in the city alone.

A public meeting was held this week in Iqaluit to provide information for people who might want to become foster parents, which Shabtai says are needed.

"We have something in the neighbourhood of 45 foster homes in Iqaluit that support not only children outside their families, but many of the homes are actually extended-family members supporting nieces, nephews and grandchildren," Shabtai said.

She says foster parents have to have a criminal record check and are also screened to ensure they have a safe and loving home.

In a 2011 audit of Nunavut's child and family services, it said more of those safety checks need to be done.

The 2013 follow-up audit found safety checks had been done in 60 per cent of non-family foster homes in its sample, compared to only 32 per cent in the 2011 audit. It found 40 per cent of extended-family foster homes had been checked, up from 25 per cent in 2011.

Shabtai says training is provided for people who become foster parents.

She says they can commit for as long as they'd like — from one night, to several years, in some cases adopting the foster child permanently.

The 2013 audit says the government could still do more to protect vulnerable children and youth.

It says it has made some progress in hiring and training community social service workers to fill vacancies, and is no longer requiring social service workers in some communities to also act as parole officers.

But the report states not enough has been done in areas such as the collection and sharing of information about at-risk youth.