Is a foster home shortage changing how some of B.C.’s most vulnerable children are cared for?

There is a dire shortage of foster homes and that’s leading to a troubling change for some of B.C.’s most vulnerable children.

A shortage of foster homes in B.C. is leading to concerns about how some of the province’s youngest and most vulnerable children in government care are being looked after.

There are about 4,800 children in care in B.C., but not nearly enough foster homes.

According to the province’s representative for children and youth, that’s led to a troubling increase in children under six—with significant medical fragility or special needs—being placed in staffed care homes.

“We’re seeing a significant reduction in the number of foster caregivers for a variety of reasons, so that’s pushing young people into staffed homes which was never the intent and not the desire,” said Jennifer Charlesworth.

She said care homes don’t provide the same environment as a foster home.

“We know especially for children under the age of six that attachment to consistent caregivers is very, very important for their growth and development,” she said.

The B.C. Conservative critic agrees.

“It’s not that we can’t care for kids in a care home. But I think there’s something about kids being in a family unit, especially at those young ages, that’s so core and fundamental to their development,” said Reann Gasper, who is also the MLA for Abbotsford-Mission.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the number of children under six in contracted care has more than doubled since 2021, jumping from 23 to 53. The number of young children in foster homes dropped from 883 to 777 over the same time period.

In an email, a ministry spokesperson said more children with higher needs are entering care while overall rates have declined.

“Every child and their needs are different, and ministry staff work with families to create care plans that best support their children,” the email reads.

“Different homes offer different benefits and supports. Staffed homes are an essential part of the in-care support system and can provide more tailored supports for some children that require specialized medical care and equipment, trained staff to support daily living, and direct access to community-based services and medical services that children rely on,” the statement continued.

Charlesworth told CTV News she has concerns about staff training in care homes which she said can vary from six hours to 200, depending on the agency.

“We’re seeing some agencies do an exceptional job of training and some do not,” she said last week.

Gasper agreed that the issue of training is “alarming and it’s very concerning.”

The BC Foster Parents Association said the current average number of foster homes in the province is about 1,500, down significantly from more than 2,400 pre-pandemic.

“This decline highlights the urgent need to recruit and support more foster caregivers across the province,” an email from the association said, though it noted that the data may not include homes under the Indigenous Child and Family Services.

Charlesworth said the significant reduction in foster homes is due to people retiring and the cost of housing making it difficult to afford a home to foster children in.