Foster Care
SERVICE OVERVIEW
Sometimes, safety concerns mean a child just can’t remain with their family of origin, and in that case, our Foster Care project comes into play. CIF’s Foster Care families are screened and trained to provide the best level of care possible to the children they take in, and are encouraged to love the children who become a part of their families. Some of these placements are medium-term, temporary arrangements, while families take the necessary steps to have their children reintegrated into their families. Many are the first step towards adoption for children in our care. Just like in Kinship Care, these children and families are followed up at least once per month for as long as is needed.
How do we support foster families?
Education
We support the families with education fees, goal setting, and after-school tutoring in some areas. There’s no sustainability without education.
Finances
With an extra mouth to feed, we provide families with a modest stipend aimed at providing for the nutritional and medical needs of the child.
Encouragement
Our dedicated staff visit and encourage the families on a regular basis. They conduct assessments and follow up throughout the year to know how best to support each family. We know that the more equipped our families are, the better the care the children receive.
Training
We provide all of our foster families with training on child development, child rights and child protection before they start fostering. We continue to provide training about trauma-informed parenting, hygiene, nutrition and parenting skills while they are fostering a child.
Peer group support
Our families are often connected to the same community hub. This means that they see each other regularly and have other parents to learn from and share the journey with.