FAQ

Exceptional payments are additional funds authorised when a child’s care needs create costs that genuinely can’t be met from the regular family care rate — costs that are unusual in nature, not simply higher than average. They are not a top-up for ordinary expenses, and they’re only considered once your regular rate has been spent or committed.

To request one, start with your resource social worker. They assess whether the cost is genuinely exceptional and consistent with the child’s Plan of Care, then document and forward it. A director decides whether the circumstances qualify, and the appropriate MCFD manager gives final approval.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

Not for ordinary costs. Exceptional payments aren’t a way to top up a family care rate that feels too low for everyday expenses — they’re reserved for genuinely extraordinary or unusual costs that the regular rate was never designed to cover.

If you find the regular rate doesn’t adequately meet a child’s ordinary needs, that’s worth raising with your resource social worker directly. There may be other supplementary supports available, or the level of the home may need to be reassessed.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

There’s no rigid format — the Life Book is personal, and what goes in it should reflect this particular child. Common things to include are photographs of the child (with dates and the names of people pictured), photos and mementos from time with their birth family, pictures of foster family members, friends, and pets, report cards and schoolwork, certificates, awards, badges, and ribbons, letters from friends and relatives, souvenirs from trips and special occasions, and stories, letters, and drawings the child has made.

The aim is simply to capture this child’s experiences, relationships, and personality. If you’d like a starting structure, CFS has Life Book templates and runs workshops — contact your local CFS Area Coordinator.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

A Life Book is an informal record of the people and events in a child’s life while they are in your care. Unlike the formal records you keep as part of your agreement, the Life Book belongs to the child — it goes with them when they leave care and stays with them as a record of their own story.

It matters because children in care often move through many placements and transitions. A Life Book gives them a continuous, personal record of where they’ve been, who they’ve known, and what they’ve achieved — a sense of history and continuity at a time when life can feel fragmented.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

Possibly, yes. BCFPA has a three-tier structure — local associations, regional councils, and a provincial body — and local associations are made up of foster families in a particular community. If you live in an isolated community without one, it may be possible to start a local association.

Ask your resource social worker for help, or call BCFPA directly: in the Vancouver area, 604-660-7696; elsewhere in the province, toll-free 1-800-663-9999.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

MCFD requires immediate notification of any emergency that seriously affects a child in care. That includes medical crises, accidents, and serious injuries; arrests or involvement in criminal activity; suicide attempts or serious self-harm; the child running away or going missing; abduction; serious behavioural incidents at home, school, or in the community; and death.

This list isn’t exhaustive. If a situation feels urgent and outside the scope of your normal day-to-day caregiving, treat it as an emergency and contact the child’s social worker — during office hours first, and the after-hours line outside them.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

If you or a member of your household is physically or psychologically injured as a result of an assault by a child in care or a member of the child’s family, notify the child’s social worker as soon as possible. A social worker will be assigned to help your family deal with the incident.

If anyone needs urgent medical attention or is in immediate danger, call 911 first, then make the notification. You don’t have to manage the aftermath on your own — support is there for your whole family.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

Standard Precautions — formerly called Universal Precautions — are the steps you take to prevent the spread of infection when there’s a risk of contact with blood or body fluids. When you’re providing physical care to a child in care, always use them when handling blood or body fluids. This protects both you and the child.

Because a child’s full medical history isn’t always known at placement, Standard Precautions apply regardless of what you know about a particular child’s health status. Your resource social worker or the child’s social worker can explain what they involve in a home care context.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

When a social worker calls about a placement, you often have only a short time to gather what you need. Try to cover the basics: the child’s name and age, why they are being placed, any behavioural or safety concerns, allergies and current medications, sleeping and supervision needs, and the child’s legal status and expected length of stay. Also ask who is bringing the child and when, whether they will arrive with adequate clothing, and who you call after hours.

You are entitled to all relevant background information. If something isn’t available when you say yes, ask for it to be sent as soon as it is — and don’t hesitate to take a moment before deciding.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide

In an emergency placement you won’t have answers to most of the usual questions before the child arrives, and that’s expected. Focus on immediate safety and comfort first: sleeping arrangements, any allergies, and current medications. Those are the things you need to keep the child safe through the first hours.

Everything else — legal status, family access, documentation, and fuller background — can be followed up as quickly as possible with the child’s social worker. You are entitled to all relevant background information; if it isn’t provided at placement, ask for it to be sent as soon as it becomes available.

Sources: Foster Family Handbook; Foster Caregiver Orientation Guide