Shortage of Foster Families: Is the Cumbersome System to Blame?
Following a media announcement by Santé Québec Estrie stating that they were urgently seeking 85 host families in their region, Ms. Gagnon was invited to speak on this issue, which deeply concerns her.
She highlighted two possible reasons for this shortage.
First, the arduous process that people must endure to open their hearts and homes to children in the care of the DPJ. The FFARIQ regularly receives complaints from potential foster families who point out the administrative burden of the process, as well as criteria that are sometimes misinterpreted in practice and a lack of flexibility.
She then highlighted the large number of experienced foster families who are leaving the program. According to our recent survey of FFARIQ members—3,600 foster families across eight regions of Quebec—the proportion of families with nine years or more of experience has dropped from 39% in 2018 to just 26% in 2026.
Nearly half of the departures are directly linked to the way the system operates: a shortage of staff, stifling bureaucracy, and a lack of follow-up for children who arrive carrying far too heavy a emotional burden.
“When an experienced foster family leaves the system because they’ve reached the end of their rope, it means one more child loses a stable living environment, meaningful relationships, and the guidance essential to their development. We cannot ask our families to carry the entire burden on their own without offering them a helping hand in return.”
The Ministry of Health must act immediately to stem this exodus and make accreditation accessible to new foster families.
