The Children’s Aid Society of Algoma has teamed up with a local pizza joint in a bid to reach potential foster parents in the Sault<\/p>\n
If you notice an unusual message on your pizza box tonight here’s why: Algoma’s foster care system is in crisis and local social workers are trying everything they can to reach parents\u00a0willing to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a critical need for foster homes,\u201d said Krista Budau, Children\u2019s Aid Society of Algoma executive director in an interview with SooToday.<\/p>\n
The Children’s Aid Society Of Algoma currently has 40 foster homes in the Sault and Algoma District. As of March 31, those homes were supporting 107 children ranging in age from newborns to 17 years old. Those homes were also caring for 50 young adults between 18 and 23.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The shortage means some children must leave the Sault and Algoma\u00a0for foster homes elsewhere in the province.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is heartbreaking. That really has a tremendously negative impact on their connections to their supports, their cultures, their peers, their community,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n
Beginning today, approximately 1,000 Aurora’s Westside pizza takeout and delivery boxes will feature QR codes directing customers to the Children’s Aid Society of Algoma Foster Care program.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t have a target number because ideally we would like to have more homes than we have need for. In days past we had over 100 foster homes and we would certainly love to get back in that range,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a great opportunity to get the message out there that we do need foster families and care for these children that don’t have homes,\u201d said Toni Robinson, Aurora’s Westside manager.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like partnering with businesses and organizations in the city to help out and do what we can. That\u2019s really important to us,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n
Along with 1,000 Aurora\u2019s Westside\u00a0pizza takeout and delivery boxes with QR codes, flyers encouraging adults to become foster parents will also be included with each of those takeout orders.<\/p>\n
15,000 flyers have also been given to Algoma District School Board and Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board students to take home and give to their parents for consideration.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re so grateful that Aurora\u2019s has partnered with us. This is our first time that we’re using the QR codes and partnering with a restaurant,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’re hoping that it will be an opportunity for anyone who has ever considered the possibility of fostering to very quickly obtain information that might answer their questions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scanning the QR codes will take people to the Children’s Aid Society Of Algoma websit<\/a>e, provide information about fostering children and an opportunity to fill out an online application and approval form<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Children’s Aid Society Of Algoma serves the Sault, east to Spanish and Elliot Lake and north to White River and Hornepayne, Budau said.<\/p>\n The launch of the Children’s Aid and Aurora\u2019s initiative precedes Children and Youth in Care Day in Ontario on May 14.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a day that recognizes and celebrates the accomplishments of children who are supported by child welfare across the province,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe celebrate their resilience. We celebrate their strength and we want those children and youth to understand that as a community they belong and they are seen.\u201d<\/p>\n Many foster children go on to experience success in life, Budau said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are adults in our community who experienced foster care after experiencing tremendous adversity in their young lives, and then with the right assistance and the right support, they have been able to live happy, healthy lives.\u201d<\/p>\n The Children’s Aid Society Of Algoma\u00a0will hold a celebration for current foster children at an undisclosed location on Children and Youth in Care Day.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don’t publicize the location of the event. We want it to be special for the children and youth, and those that they’re connected to,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n Budau, however, did say it will be a day of fun.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll have a barbecue and fun activities that the youth can participate in. We recognize children and youth who are having graduations in this particular school year so that their peers can acknowledge that success.\u201d<\/p>\n Former youth in care will appear and mingle with current foster children.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll have entertainment and it’s an opportunity for youth to be appreciated and recognized,\u201d Budau said.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Children’s Aid Society of Algoma has teamed up with a local pizza joint in a bid to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":642142,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[45,49,48,239351,239350],"class_list":["post-642141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-childrens-aid-society-of-algoma","tag-lets-eatauroras-westside"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642141"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642141\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642142"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}