Be A Host Family

It is our preference to recruit Host Family parents that see their participation in this program as a way of living out the compassion of Christ by caring for the hurting.  Volunteer Host parents with this mindset are able to bring the healing dynamic of Christian love to children and families in crisis.

It is the policy of Safe Families to approve the most competent and effective Host Family parents to care for the needs of the children.  The ultimate goal is to provide a culturally relevant and secure family that is free from any potential dangers to the safe child. It is also important for the child to feel loved and cared for, and feel as though they are a part of the family. The impact you have in the life of this child is significant.  Host Families are screened through a process which involves police checks, references, and a home study assessment. They receive training and serve without compensation.

SFC Family Coaches monitor children in the host home to ensure compliance with guidelines. The average length of stay is 45 days, ranging from 1 day to 3 months.

Ages of children placed: Newborn infants through parenting teens.
Referral Sources: Community organizations, daycare centres, hospitals, drug treatment and homeless centers, prisons, schools, police stations, adoption agencies, etc.

Steps to Becoming a Host Family:

Given the high level of trust and liability involved in caring for a child from another family, the process of being authorized to serve as a Host Family involves successfully undergoing a detailed screening process conducted by trained staff in a confidential manner.

  1. Contact Form: Fill out our contact form here, and indicate your interest in becoming a Host Family. We will then send you a Home Study Assessment application and the Host Family Handbook to fill out. Once your application is complete, please return it to info@safefamilies.ca. 
  2. Police Background Check & Letters of Reference: Upon receiving your application, you must complete a background check and a Letter of Reference form, to be filled out by three referees. 
  3. Training: At this point, you will be set up with a login for the Safe Families database, where you will complete the online training videos.
  4. Home Study: After all the above steps are complete, we will contact you to schedule a home visit. This visit allows us to get acquainted and also allows our staff to visually confirm that your home is a safe place. 

Host Family Clearance: Once your clearance is complete, you will be contacted by your local Safe Families office when a child needs help.