Long daycare wait times poses challenge for Sudbury, Ont. foster parents

Sudbury, Ont. foster parent, Meagan Grant says she and her husband enjoy caring for children of all age ranges.

"During COVID, because we had so much time at home, we were able to spend really dedicated with the kids and and not having to worry about going into work, of course," she told CBC News.

However, long wait times for daycare have made it difficult for them to take in infants and toddlers.

"We've pretty much had to move away from infants altogether because there are no infant programs," Grant said.

You have foster homes that are open withcapable, loving adults and parents and we're ready to do it, but we're just not able to by circumstance.- Meagan Grant, Sudbury Ont. foster parent

In Sudbury, the average wait time for a daycare spotis 23 months.

Grant, who is a small business owner, says she and her husband both work full-time.

"I think a reality for most families these days is that you're a two-income household," Grant said.

"Our schedules are quite hectic, " but she says that doesn't stop the couple from wanting to foster and wanting to have children and start a family.

"It's really discouraging to see that the system is almost just set up in a way that that isn't conducive to supporting the children who need it," she added.

"You have foster homes that are open withcapable, loving adults and parents and we're ready to do it, but we're just not able to by circumstance."

Grant says it would help if daycares had spots set aside for children in care.

"It would really open up a lot of avenues for different foster homes with different kinds of families and different like working classes of people."

Over the last three years, the couple has fostered dozens of kids through Kina Gbezhgomi Child and Family Services, which serves First Nations on Manitoulin Island and all members those and other First Nations who live off-reserve on Manitoulin or Sudbury.

They are currently caring for a three-year-old boy, who managed to get into daycare because his sibling was already enrolled.

Even before Grant met her husband nearly six years ago, she says she began the process of opening her home to children.

Foster parents needed for older children

Elaina Groves, the CEO of the Children's Aid Society for the Districts of Sudbury and Manitoulin, agrees that it's difficult for foster parents who work full-time to care for younger children, but says foster agencies prefer to have someone at home with the young child.

"Particularly when we're working very hard and ensuring that babies and toddlers have as much contact with their biological parents as possible, that bonding, that attachment is critical in that development of the child."

Groves emphasizes the need for more foster parents in general, but particularly for older children and those with special needs.

"Everyone loves babies and they want to take babies into their care. So we've had less challenge in placing babies."

She says fostering older kids who are at school during the day can work for parents' schedules.

"When a child's in school, when a child is occupied, then two working parents work quite fine with fostering, because it's no different than a lot of families themselves who are raising their own children."