Urgent Need for Foster Parents in Ontario

September 15, 2025 · Annie's Havens

Interest in fostering is declining

Recent news has highlighted an urgent need for foster parents across Ontario. Children’s Aid Societies and private foster care agencies alike are finding it harder and harder to attract qualified people.

People still call and email to ask about becoming a foster parent. The trouble is that, after a conversation, issues often come up that make it difficult or impossible to move forward. The most common ones are:

• Insufficient home size, with no spare bedroom
• A bedroom in the basement, which is against Ministry regulations
• Too many children already in the home, especially young children
• No driver’s licence or vehicle
• Prior Children’s Aid investigations or a criminal record

Turning down an enthusiastic person is hard, given how urgent the need is. Whatever the reasons behind the decline, the bottom line is the same: we need more people interested in caring for children and youth in the child welfare system.

A place for qualified parents

Foster care programs in Ontario serve a wide variety of children with different needs. Some children need foster parents with a deep knowledge of autism. Others need an LGBTQ-friendly home. Agencies take on qualified foster parents who can care for “mainstream” children, and many also specialize. Annie’s Havens, for instance, has a strong program for developmental and medical needs; if someone is interested in caring for youth with significant mental-health needs, we would point them to another agency.

Low interest in fostering across Ontario means there are fewer people able to help high-needs children in particular.

Foster parenting isn’t easy. Foster parenting isn’t impossible. It’s a daily challenge that brings with it an amazing sense of reward.

Consequences of the shortage

One shift we’re seeing is group-care operators opening homes under a “foster home” status to work around tighter regulations in that sector, staffing them entirely with employees. They do this because of the shortage of foster parents and a ready supply of Child and Youth Workers.

Foster parenting is not a job; it’s a charitable contribution to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. We have the utmost respect for Child and Youth Workers, but their role is different from a parent’s, and it should stay that way. A foster parent is a consistent, lasting presence, not an employee who may move on to other career goals. When children with very high needs are placed in environments that aren’t designed to meet those needs, we set them up to fail.

Spread the word

If you know someone who would make a great foster parent, encourage them to contact us and help fill this urgent need. If our program isn’t the right fit, we’ll gladly point them to an agency that is. Our recruitment is thorough, and we take the time to explain the pros and the cons.

Tell friends at church. Post on social media. Bring it up at social events. The need for foster parents is real, even though it’s largely hidden. The more people we get involved, the better the outcomes for these children will be.