5 things you should know about becoming a foster parent on P.E.I.

A CBC story this week about the possibility of babies going to group homes and the need for more foster parents on P.E.I. has generated a lot of discussion. The main comment?  There are too many rules and regulations stopping people from becoming foster parents.

• P.E.I. group homes may take in infants

• Fewer P.E.I. foster parents as more children need homes

So just what does it take to get approved?  

We put that question to Maureen MacEwen, P.E.I.'s Provincial co-ordinator of Child Protection Services.

Here are five fostering facts she gave us that may surprise you:

1.  Odds of getting accepted not in your favour

According to the province, out of every three Islanders that apply to be foster parents, just one is ultimately accepted. MacEwen says some applicants back away themselves, while others are denied by the province.

Generally, that denial comes after a three to six month assessment of an applicant's suitability to foster, which looks at factors such as their physical and mental health, the level of stress in their home, and their financial stability.

"Certainly we do discuss the family's finances, and the reason for us to do that is to make sure that their own financial situation is not placing a lot of stress on their family, and also that they're not thinking of fostering as being a primary source of income," MacEwen says.  "We understand lots of families have financial debt, and that's not an issue.  It's the level of stress it might be causing in their family."

2.  Single, divorced, gay — not an issue

MacEwen says it's a common myth that the province is only interested in having so-called traditional families foster.  But she says that's hardly the reality.

"We do get that question a lot," she said.  "But we have many foster parents who are single, we have some same-sex couples, married couples, we have people who've been divorced and are in common-law relationships. Really, it can be any combination."

3. Your family might be too big already

There are rules limiting just how many children can be in a P.E.I. foster home. Including the foster child or children, there can be no more than six people under the age of 18, and just two under the age of two. That may not sit well with parents having no problem raising eight, 10, or 12 kids. But MacEwen says the rule is in place for good reason.

"I certainly agree many people do a wonderful job parenting large families," she said. "But for the foster child going into the family, many of these children have experienced significant trauma in their lives. They have uncertainty about what's happening to them. This is to ensure the individual needs of all the children are being met."

4. The number of bedrooms matters

If you can't provide a foster child with his or her own bedroom, you won't be fostering at all. MacEwen says foster siblings can share a room.  But single foster children older than six months are required to have their own room. Sure, that might make your other kids jealous. But MacEwen says it's important that foster children have their own space and a little privacy.

"It's just really important that children, especially children removed from their families, have a sense of a place for themselves within the home."

5.  Work and play are allowed

MacEwen says contrary to what some people think, even parents with busy work schedules are still eligible to foster. The province provides extra funding for foster parents who need child care all day or before and after school. And if you're worried fostering would mean the end of weekend trips to Moncton and family vacations to Disney, rest easy. MacEwen says it will just take a little extra paper work.

"There are things we would need to be able to put in place for that to happen," she says. "But certainly we can make that happen in fairly short order if we know what the activity or request is going to be. We really do want the children in care to have experiences similar to what the foster family would have."

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