ᑲᓇᐁᐧᓂᒪᐊᐧᓱᐃᐧ ᐃᐧᑐᑲᑫᐃᐧᐣ
Foster Connection.
Become a Foster Parent.

Tikinagan provides support and services for families who are experiencing difficulties, and works to help these families find resources to heal. Whenever possible, we work to keep children and families together, and to help parents care for their children. Tikinagan is committed to keeping our children within our communities, but to make this happen, we need your help.

By being a foster parent, you can make a real difference in the life of a child. When their families are unable to care for them, you can help children stay in their home community, and stay connected to extended family, friends and their culture and traditions.

2021 Foster Parent Brochure

Meet Our Foster Parents

Learn about some of our wonderful foster parents!

Serenity Kashuba

Emma Kejick

Shelly Meehan

Jolene and Sims Roundhead

Live-In Foster Parents

Another option for being a foster parent is to be a live-in foster parent at a home owned by Tikinagan.

Instead of fostering in their own home, Live-In Foster Parents reside in a Tikinagan-owned foster home with children in care to create a safe, nurturing, and family environment. The Live-In Foster Parents will work with a team of Child Welfare professionals and ensure that the Ministry Standards are met and carried out in the home. Tikinagan will cover all living expenses in the home, as well as provide a foster per diem. The Live-in Foster Parents will receive respite each month.

These homes are located in Sioux Lookout, Red Lake, Thunder Bay, Aroland, Muskrat Dam, Sachigo Lake, Fort Hope and Lac Seul.

Listen to Betty Maud share her live-in foster parent experience

 

Support for Foster Parents

 

Tikinagan has a Residential Services Unit focused on developing a range of foster care options for children and youth who need to come into Tikinagan care. This unit offers programs and services to foster parents to assist them in providing the best possible environment for our children.

We provide foster parents with:

  • Orientation on the role of a Tikinagan foster parent
  • Ongoing training and education, including meeting the special needs of children placed in your care
  • Support services provided by an assigned residential care worker who will also advocate for the foster parent
  • Emergency support and crisis intervention 24 hours a day
  • Respite care options such as alternate placement of the child or alternate caregiver for the child
  • Financial reimbursement by a daily rate for regular food and accommodation expenses, as well as allowances for special expenses such as clothing, school recreation and health care

Foster Parents Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a foster parent?

Foster parents are everyday people who come from all walks of life – homemakers, councilors, grandparents, etc. They work at the community store, the nursing station, the school or in the band office. The list is long. Foster parents can be married or single or separated. They can have their own children, or not. The key requirement is your willingness to help a child. Foster parents are very important to us and are essential to successfully delivering our services. Although the legal responsibility for the child remains with the agency, the foster parents play a very important role in the child’s life.

Who can be a foster parent?

We are looking for people who care about children, enjoy the challenges of parenting and want to work with others to meet children’s needs. All members of your family must share your interest in fostering. We are seeking families that live in First Nation communities served by Tikinagan.

What is a foster child?

A foster child may be a baby, a toddler, a young child, or a teenager to 16 years of age. A few of our children in care are physically, mentally or emotionally challenged and require special care to be able to enjoy the benefits of daily life. Foster children need the kind of care and stability that a foster family can offer. Most require not only warmth and acceptance but also guidance, direction, structure, love and understanding.

Why be a foster parent?

Foster parents provide a nurturing safe home for foster children, many of whom have had traumatic experiences in their lives. Foster parents tend to the physical, mental, spiritual and emotional needs of the children. They provide nourishing meals, a warm place to sleep, a comfortable happy place to live, safe from harm. They listen. They love. They treat them like their own children. They provide trust. Foster parents do a lot of things for a child. Fostering is a valuable community service and also offers a very rewarding experience for foster parents.

If I have a conviction, can I still be a foster parent?

When a Criminal Record Check reveals one or more prior criminal convictions, it does not necessarily mean you cannot be a foster parent for Tikinagan. In order to determine if we can offer or continue employment, we will consider the particular circumstances of each case, including;

  • the nature of the offence(s)
  • the length of time since the conviction(s)
  • mitigating circumstances, if any

How to Apply

  • Fill out the form below for more information or have us contact you, or
  • Call Tikinagan Child and Family Services telephone intake, or
  • Write to Tikinagan at the address listed below, or
  • Talk to any Tikinagan Child and Family Service Worker

You will be put in touch with a Residential Care Worker who can give you more information on foster parenting including the process and requirements for becoming a foster parent.

Tikinagan Child and Family Services
Residential Care Services
PO Box 627
Sioux Lookout, Ontario P8T 1B1

Phone: 807 737-3466
Toll free: 1 800 465-3624
Fax: 807 737-4812

Apply to be a Foster Parent with Tikinagan!
Or if you have questions or need more information, Intake will contact you with your information below.

Apply to be a Foster Parent

Apply to be a Foster Parent