KidsKare Agency

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About our website

Then and Now

Over the last decade our old website adhered to the HTML 4 specification in an effort to make sure that every browser could access our content. Times have changed and we really wanted our new website to take advantage of all the features of modern web browsers. Our new site adheres to the HTML5 specification and takes advantage of CSS3 and Javascript, as well as the jQuery and other frameworks. This allows for new ways to present information and also lets our content work well on tablets and cellphones.

Which Browser?

Our new website should work on many different browsers without any difficulty. Some browsers such as Internet Explorer present some unique challenges, but we have done our best to address them.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

It is very important to us to make sure that all of our content is accessible by all of our users. We have made every effort to ensure that our website is AODA compliant Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

We have used two validation tools to check the integrity of our website:

Web Accessibility Checker
WAVE - Web accessibility evaluation tool

Multilingual Support

Using the latest translation tools available, we have tried to make our content accessible in many different languages. These tools are not perfect, but is our intention to include as many different users as we can.

FOSTER CARE

Our "Therapeutic Foster Care" program offers a setting for children that is stable, nurturing and structured for consistency. Our goal is to help each individual reach their full potential, in partnership with the foster family. We picture of cartoon smiling flowers believe that fostering involves the entire family working together, to create a healthy living environment that fosters growth and development. A person's ability to become effective within their "life" environment is directly tied to their "self-esteem" and the milieu in which one grows. Our focus on skill development through teaching, coaching and modeling enables an individual to reach their maximum potential. We are proponents of the value of life-long learning and skill building. In addition we work closely with a team of related professionals to provide all the necessary supports for each individual's success.

The KidsKare Agency believes that individuals under our care need to be active participants in their communities and we emphasize the importance of social inclusion in all of our programs. We advocate for each person under our care and provide foster families with a wide range of services, in order to meet each individual's needs. We believe in utilizing more than one theoretical philosophy, allowing for an interdisciplinary approach to achieve the greatest benefit.

OUR MODELS

We offer two different "Therapeutic Foster Care" models in order to best serve each individual's needs.

Four bed program

individuals require a higher level of supervision
more intensive treatment plans are in place
higher level of staffing support for "parent relief"
foster parent(s) require professional qualifications
non-taxable per diem provided for each individual's care

One to two bed program

individual(s) require a lower level of supervision
treatment plans are in place
staffing support for "parent relief"
non-taxable per diem provided for each individual's care

BECOME A FOSTER PARENT

The KidsKare Agency is licensed by the province of Ontario to develop and support foster programs, as well as more specialized treatment foster care programs. Fostering can be a rewarding challenge with a great deal of satisfaction when you make a difference in someone's life. We offer a number of supports and provide resources under our Foster Care program to support foster parents including:

Supports and Resources

act as a liason between outside agencies and the foster family
computer supported treatment program development and implementation
24 hour on-call and crisis management support
foster family training and skills development
regular parent relief services

The Process of Becoming a Foster Family

The process usually takes about 2 months, but can be as long as 4 months, depending on the needs and circumstances of the individual.

STEP 1:
The first step involves contacting us to express your interest in becoming a Foster Family. Fill out the "Contact Us" form below and we will be in touch with you to help you through the next steps.

STEP 2:
The second step involves filling out an application and participating in an interview. This usually takes between one and two hours to complete.

STEP 3:
The third step involves a comprehensive home study with three to five in-home meetings, usually lasting about an hour each. We use SAFE (Structured Analysis Family Evaluation) as the basis for our evaluations - www.safehomestudy.org.

STEP 4:
The final step involves matching a child to your strengths for placement. It is all about "Finding the Right Child for you". We will support you every step of the way.

FOSTER CARE REQUEST

What is your name?

What is your email address?

What is your phone number?