Alternative Care
Foster Care Alternative Care
It is more than a name change. It is a reclamation of our responsibility to keep families together.
While we make every effort to keep families together, sometimes children and youth need temporary homes. Alternative Care is about a community’s effort to provide extra care, love and support to children and youth, and their families. At Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag, our mission, vision and mandate is to place children/youth with family and community first, and if this cannot be arranged, an appropriate alternative care home will be secured.
The Alternative Care Program provides out-of-home placement inclusive of customary care, community care, kinship care and adoption. Here’s a breakdown:
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Alternative Caregivers |
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| Community Caregiver | Kin Caregiver | Customary Caregiver | Kin Service Caregiver | Adopt Parent | |
| Licensed home subject to Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services standards.
There is no existing relationship between caregiver and child/youth or their family. Ongoing financial support. |
Licensed home subject to Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services standards.
There is an existing relationship between caregiver and child/youth or their family. Ongoing financial support. |
Recognizes First Nations inherent rights and laws.
Licensed home that is specific to First Nation child/youth and subject to Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services standards. There is an existing relationship between caregiver and child/youth or their family. Ongoing financial assistance. |
Provider home under Ontario Kin Service Standards.
There is an existing relationship between caregiver and child/youth or their family. Minimal and one-time financial support is available. |
Provider home for children/youth who are need of permanency.
Adoption subsidy available. |
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Customary care will be made available for children and youth of our member First Nations before all other options. It is the desire of Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag that customary care agreements be reached before any court applications are required. Respecting that each community has its own values and beliefs and ways of doing things, Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag has developed protocols with each member First Nation to outline the necessary steps to proceed with a customary care agreement.
Alternative Caregivers must commit to abiding by our Service Model, our inherent Indigenous rights and must ensure they will work collaboratively with families of origin and our First Nation, Inuit and Métis communities.
Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child & Family Services has a responsibility to provide adequate care and supervision of all children and youth placed in Alternative Care respecting First Nation laws, the inherent rights of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, and adhering to the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services standards in accordance with the Child, Youth and Family Services Act.
View and download a copy of our Alternative Care Info Package
Are you ready to open your heart and home?
Alternative Caregivers preserve a connection to family, culture and community while opening their homes to children and youth who need additional love, care and support.
We will be with you every step of the way. Alternative Caregivers join our circle of care as an integral part of our service model. Alternative caregivers provide child/youth with a sense of stability, continuity, socialization and spirituality, and work alongside the child/youth’s family to preserve family, community and cultural connections.
Interested in becoming an Alternative Caregiver? Call us at 1-705-295-7135 and press 2 to speak with our Alternative Care team.
Currently seeking a Community Caregiver for an Anti-Human Trafficking Home. Click here to learn more.
Watch the videos below to hear from current caregivers. They share their experiences and what it means to be a caregiver.
