When I heard on the radio recently that a young boy was injured in a foster home near Strathmore, and that people were angry because the homes in Alberta are crowed, I turned the radio off.
Before all of you think, “How could I not care?” allow me to tell you something.
I live with my parents who foster children.
In our home, there are three kids in foster care, one child we’re adopting, and I have two siblings by birth living in our home. We do respite care for other foster parents as well.
Foster homes in Alberta have limits on them, but there are more than 5,000 foster kids in Alberta.
I’ve heard there are some kids who have to sleep in hotels because there is no room for them.
Foster homes are trying so hard to meet the demands but cannot.
People out there are saying that we need more foster homes, but they don’t open their homes to those kids who need them.
I don’t in any way think that it’s OK that the child was injured, and I don’t know what the circumstances were. However, we all need to remember that he was placed in care for a reason and placed somewhere that was the best option at the time.
Also, I don’t think that children in care are at higher risk of injury than other children.
In our home, if my birth brother falls and is injured, it’s not news. But if my foster brother suffers the same injury, my mom has many people she has to answer to.
People who are doing foster care don’t do it for the money. They are doing it because they are kind and have an open heart.
So please, unless you are willing to open your home, stop being so critical of those who have.
Remember, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.
Jessica Grills
Red Deer