Foster home situation in Yellowknife in dire mode

February 21, 2012

Yellowknife, N.W.T. - The message is simple - Yellowknife is in need of more foster families.

Right now, Yellowknife Health and Social Services Authority is trying to find a placement for two siblings to be fostered together.

The executive director of the Foster Family Coalition of the NWT, Tammy Krivda, said finding foster families isn't just a problem in Yellowknife.

"The severe lack of foster families is not only in the NWT, it is nationwide and it has been for a long time," she said. "If you speak to anyone on a national level, recruiting foster homes has always been a challenge and there's always been a lack of foster homes."

Krivda said it can be difficult to find foster families because it's a challenging role and people often have questions about whether they are up to the challenge.

"Am I good enough to do this?," she said. "Am I a good enough parent? Do I have the patience? I don't know what I need, those types of things. Generally, people think about it for quite a while before stepping forward."

A long time foster parent herself, Krivda added that fostering also be personally rewarding.

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