Flag raised on legislature grounds to mark start of Foster and Kinship Caregiver Month

Officials from the Alberta government and Alberta Foster and Kinship Association raise a flag at the Queen Elizabeth II Building at the legislature grounds on Oct. 1, 2024, to mark the start of Foster and Kinship Caregiver Month. (Cam Wiebe / CTV News Edmonton)

Alberta's foster and kinship caregivers were honoured on Tuesday with a flag raising at the legislature grounds.

The province dedicates the entire month of October to foster and kinship caregivers, which number 1,500 and 2,200, respectively.

The sign raised Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth II Building bore the logo of the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association (AFKA), which supports caregivers.

"Caregiving is a challenging role and it demands plenty of training, time, energy and, of course, compassion. Whether it's listening to a young child or a shoulder to cry on, you embrace these challenges with open arms and help them stay as closely connected as possible to their culture and community," Children and Family Services Minister Searle Turton commended caregivers at the ceremony.

"The relationships you have with these children and youth last a lifetime. Some of those relationships may come and go, but know that you're a very important person in their life and are never forgotten," added Melissa Jones, AFKA's chief executive officer.

Before the flag was raised, an elder led attendees in a smudging ceremony, praying not only for youth, but for the continued strength of caregivers.

As of June, 2,959 kids in Alberta are receiving care from an extended family member or someone else close to them, and 2,976 are living with a foster family.

Foster and kinship care are the most common care arrangements in Alberta, each accounting for 33 per cent of placements.

Indigenous youth are overrepresented in Alberta's child welfare system, making up 72 per cent of children revealing intervention services.