Voluntary Care Agreements

The Ministry of Children and Family Development might offer to place your children in foster care on a voluntary and temporary basis. In this case, you sign a Voluntary Care Agreement with the ministry.

A Voluntary Care Agreement — usually used if your children are under 16 — is a written agreement proposed when you face a crisis that leaves you temporarily unable to care for your children at home. For example, you may be the sole parent and need to enter the hospital or a treatment program. The social worker must make sure that your situation meets the many conditions for this agreement and must explore with you all other safe options first. For more information about these conditions, consult the relevant sections of the ministry's Child and Family Development Standards.

Short-term agreements have a 14-day initial time limit to allow you to get over the crisis and set up family supports. You'll work with ministry staff to write out a plan for the earliest possible return of your children and for any support needed once they get home.

If your crisis and your need for assistance lasts longer than 14 days, the ministry will open a protection file instead, which means that different rules will apply. The agreement can and will remain voluntary if that works best for you, your child, and the ministry. The initial term of a Voluntary Agreement is usually for the least amount of time you need to recover from your crisis. It must also be for three months or less for children under five, and six months or less for older children. The ministry's goal is to reunite children and families as soon as possible. Parents have to pay $5 to $20 or more a day while their children are in care.

Tips: To find out more about a protection file, go to How to get help if someone reports you to the ministry.

Before you enter a Voluntary Care Agreement, read our Tips about entering into a Voluntary Care Agreement.