Foster parents and Community Living BC home-share providers are applauding the government for an increase in care rates.
Foster parents will get an additional 179 dollars each month to help cover basic necessities for children in their care, including food, shelter, and clothing.
Heather Hanes adopted sibling foster children and takes others into her home.
“I can tell you as a foster parent that we can give all the kisses and hugs that we possibly have but there are real needs that kids that come from hard places need, unique needs and they are expensive. So I can say that, as an adoptive parent and a foster mom, this will make a real difference for the children that we have in our home.”
Community Living BC home-share provider rates are based on the individual needs of the person in care.
The 45 million dollars in funding over three years is a 15 per cent increase for the program.
Selina Martin is the president of the Home-share Caregivers Association.
“On budget day, I sat in tears, when Carol James announced we would be getting an increase. We haven’t had an increase in over ten years, for some people, it’s been longer, for some they never have had an increase. The validation of all of this, are people with disabilities, that we support and the reason we do this is so that they can have a full life.”
