FAQ

BC law requires every child to be properly secured in a certified restraint suited to their age, weight, and height. Infants and young children must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are both at least 20 pounds (9 kg) and at least 1 year old; both conditions must be met, so age alone is not enough. A child who is at least 1 year and 20 pounds but under 40 pounds (18 kg) rides in a forward-facing car seat. A child must stay in a booster seat until they reach either a height of 4 feet 9 inches (145 cm) or an age of 9 years, after which they may use the seat belt alone.

All children 12 and under should be in the back seat, the safest position in almost all accidents. Seats must be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, since even a correctly installed seat with loose harness straps offers less protection. ICBC and many fire departments offer free car seat inspections, and these are legal requirements, not recommendations.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Never place a rear-facing child seat in a vehicle seat equipped with an air bag. If an air bag inflates while a rear-facing seat is in position, it can cause serious injury or death.

If you drive a pickup truck and a child must be transported in the front seat, follow the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure the air bags are disengaged. In general, the back seat is the safest position for children, so use the front only when there is no alternative.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Raise the developmental concern with the child’s social worker and ask whether Infant Development Services should be added to the Plan of Care. The social worker arranges the referral, and in regions where a community agency delivers the service, the referral and funding details are worked out between the ministry and that agency.

Do this early rather than waiting to see if the concern resolves on its own. In the first three years, intervention has its greatest impact, so the sooner it starts the more effective it tends to be. Infant Development Services also pair well with other supports your social worker can coordinate, such as Supported Child Care, public health assessments, and community therapy services.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Infant Development Services (sometimes called Infant Development Programmes, or IDP) are an in-home support for children up to about age three who have a developmental delay or disability, or who are at significant risk of one. A trained worker visits regularly to coach you on techniques that stimulate the child’s motor, language, cognitive, social, and emotional development, and connects you with other early intervention services as needed. Some regions also offer parent support groups.

Availability varies by region, and the service is arranged through the child’s social worker as part of the Plan of Care. Where it is included in the plan, there is no cost to you. If the child shows delayed milestones or carries a known risk such as prenatal substance exposure, premature birth, or early medical complications, it is worth raising.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

All adolescents in care are entitled to instruction in birth control and planned parenting. The social worker will discuss with you who provides this guidance; it may be the social worker, a health professional, or in some cases shared with you as the caregiver.

If an adolescent in your care becomes pregnant, inform the social worker immediately so counselling can be arranged promptly. If the adolescent is in care by agreement or in temporary care, their parents may be involved alongside the adolescent and physician in assessing options and making a plan; if she is in continuing custody, the social worker coordinates the planning. The aim is timely access to the support, information, and professional care the young person needs to make informed decisions.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Yes, in some cases. Under the Infants Act, a young person who is capable of making an independent and reasonable decision may consent to their own medical treatment without guardian or parental consent. It is the treating physician’s responsibility to assess whether a particular young person has that capacity.

Even when a youth can consent for themselves, these decisions can be difficult and emotionally complex. Your role is to give the young person accurate information about their options, offer emotional support and help them think through their best interests, and alert others on the care team, such as the social worker or a counsellor, when you sense they need more guidance. Because you are often closest to the young person day to day, you are well placed to notice when a decision is weighing on them.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Who consents depends on the child’s legal status, so at placement find out from the social worker who is authorised to consent to routine and emergency care. For children in care by agreement, parents generally retain responsibility for most decisions, including medical consent, and written authority for travel or significant treatment may involve them too. For children in continuing custody or in the care of a director, you can arrange routine medical services yourself, but planned treatment or surgery usually needs the social worker’s authorisation.

As a caregiver you are not a legal guardian and do not have independent authority to consent to significant procedures. When you are uncertain whether a decision needs social worker authorisation, the safest approach is always to check first rather than act and report afterward. The social worker can also give you an after-hours contact for medical emergencies.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Each child in care has a Health Care Passport, a workbook where you record important health information about the child. It follows the child through placements and supports continuity of their care.

Keep it current by recording medical appointments, diagnoses, medications, vaccinations, and any significant health events. It is also worth knowing that most children have a medical examination when they enter care, and many when they leave, and that children should receive an annual medical checkup; check with the social worker to confirm these have been arranged.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

Dental care is provided through a Pacific Blue Cross arrangement administered by MCFD. Children are entitled to a dental examination every six months and basic dental care as needed. The social worker gives you a Pacific Blue Cross benefits card; you simply present it when booking, and the dentist bills the ministry directly, so you do not pay out of pocket. Orthodontic work is available for children and youth with continuing custody orders, so check the child’s legal status with the social worker if you are unsure.

For an eye examination by an optometrist or ophthalmologist, you only need the child’s personal health number to present at the appointment. If the child needs glasses, contact the social worker to find out how the ministry’s optical plan works and how costs are covered.

Source: Foster Family Handbook

You handle the day-to-day side of a child’s health, but consent for routine, special, and emergency medical care rests with the child’s social worker. Always advise the social worker before a child receives medical attention; if that is not possible in special circumstances, notify them as soon as you can afterward. For any emergency, notify the social worker immediately, and ask them for an after-hours number that can authorise treatment when their office is closed. Wherever possible, take the child to their own primary physician rather than a walk-in clinic, so care and records stay consistent.

Do not pay out of pocket for medical services such as doctor visits, hospital charges, prescriptions, or glasses unless the social worker has authorised it first, and do not involve the child in any treatment or therapy not approved by a physician and authorised through MSP or PharmaCare. For special needs like prostheses, special diets, or medical transportation, check with the social worker first, since these usually require prior authorisation.

Source: Foster Family Handbook