How to Keep a Foster Parent Daily Log in New Brunswick (Record of Care Guide)

Most foster parents understand they need to keep some kind of log. What catches people off guard is how specific New Brunswick's expectations are — and how directly that log feeds into the child's Service Plan, court proceedings, and Special Needs Assessment reviews. A vague or inconsistent record does not just reflect poorly on you; it can delay decisions about the child's permanency.

Here is what the Department of Social Development actually expects, and how to build a daily log that holds up when it matters.

What the Record of Care Is and Why It's Mandatory

Under the Child and Youth Social Services Regulation (NB Reg 2024-6), the Record of Care is not optional. It is a formal documentation requirement tied to the child's Service Plan — the document that governs every aspect of the child's placement, from health goals to the permanency plan (whether that is reunification, adoption, or long-term guardianship).

The Service Plan is reviewed at least every six months. When a social worker, District Manager, or court is evaluating whether a placement is meeting the child's needs, your Record of Care is the primary evidence. Gaps in the record — missed weeks, vague entries — can raise questions about the consistency of care, even when the care itself has been excellent.

The Department prefers a narrative log over a simple checklist. That means prose entries that capture context, not just a ticked box that medication was administered.

The Five Categories You Must Document

Medical and Dental

Record every health appointment: the date, the provider, what was assessed, and the outcome. If medication was administered, note the drug name, dosage, time of administration, and any reaction observed. This applies to over-the-counter medication as well.

If the child has a condition requiring ongoing management — asthma, ADHD, a chronic illness — your log builds the longitudinal record that informs future medical decisions. Children covered by NB Medicare and supplemental programs like Healthy Smiles (dental) or Clear Vision (vision) will have services tracked across providers; your daily log fills in the day-to-day gaps that clinical records miss.

Education

Note school attendance every day. Flag absences and the reason. Record communications with teachers or school counsellors, including any concerns raised about behaviour, learning, or social integration. If homework required significant support, note that too.

Education documentation is especially important during placement transitions. When a child moves schools — which happens frequently in foster care — your log gives the receiving school a practical picture of where the child actually was, not just what the formal records say.

Behaviour and Emotional Well-Being

This is the section most foster parents underestimate. The Department is looking for patterns, not isolated incidents. Document significant mood shifts, triggers you have identified, and the strategies that helped or did not help.

Equally important: record successes. A child trying a new food, completing a task independently, sleeping through the night for the first time in weeks — these entries build the positive picture that counterbalances any incident reports. They also feed directly into the Special Needs Assessment (SNA), which is completed within 30 days of placement and reviewed periodically. The SNA evaluates 12 domains including behaviour management, emotional and psychiatric status, and socialization skills. Your log is the living evidence behind those ratings.

Parental Contact

When the child has visits or calls with birth family, record the date, time, duration, and the child's emotional state before and after. Keep the language factual and neutral. You are not assessing the quality of the birth parent's parenting; you are documenting the child's experience.

This matters because foster parents are required to support the reunification process as members of the Care Team. Your observations about how the child responds to contact directly inform the social worker's assessment of the contact schedule.

Milestones and Life Story

The Child and Youth Well-Being Act places significant emphasis on a child's identity and continuity of life narrative. Photographs of awards, certificates, first experiences, and special events are not merely sentimental — they are part of the child's Life Story, which belongs to the child and travels with them through every placement. Add a note alongside each photograph to give it context.

Keeping up with this level of documentation is one of the practical realities of fostering that most information sessions gloss over. If you want a clear picture of every step in the New Brunswick process — from the Record of Care requirements to the home safety standards your bedroom must meet before a child arrives — the New Brunswick Foster Care Guide covers the full journey in one place.

First-Placement Setup: What to Record in the First 24 Hours

When a child arrives — especially in an emergency placement with little notice — there is a specific set of information you need to capture immediately, before the routine log begins.

Record the following as soon as the child arrives:

• Name and direct contact number of the child's caseworker
• After-hours emergency number (AHESS: 1-800-442-9799 or 1-833-733-7835, available 4:30 PM to 8:15 AM weekdays and 24 hours on weekends and holidays)
• Current medication schedule, dosage, and known allergies
• The child's NB Medicare number or temporary status code
• Names and placement locations of any siblings
• School name and contact person
• Visitation schedule for the next 48 hours, if known
• An inventory of clothing the child arrived with

This initial entry anchors everything that follows. If there is a medical incident in the first week, the medication record you started on day one is the foundation of your log.

Practical Format: What "Narrative" Actually Means

The Department's preference for narrative entries does not mean you need to write an essay each day. A practical entry looks like this:

"March 15 — Attended school full day; teacher reported improved focus during morning reading. Administered 10mg Concerta at 7:45 AM, no side effects noted. Child was tearful after phone call with birth mother at 6 PM; settled after 20 minutes with a puzzle. Bedtime routine normal."

Short, specific, factual. On quieter days, a brief note confirming the routine is sufficient. The goal is consistency — a record that shows engaged, attentive care over time, not just documentation of problems.

How the Log Connects to Your License Review

Foster home licenses in New Brunswick are reviewed annually and require a full background check renewal every five years. The quality of your Record of Care feeds into those annual reviews. A well-maintained log demonstrates professional-level caregiving and supports any request you make for enhanced support funding, respite authorization, or changes to your conditions of approval.

It also protects you. If a concern is ever raised about the care provided during a specific period, your contemporaneous daily log is the clearest evidence of what actually happened in your home.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Documenting only incidents. A log that only records problems creates a skewed picture. Document the ordinary days too.

Using judgmental language about birth parents. Keep all references to birth family factual and neutral. Entries that express negative opinions can create complications if records are reviewed in court proceedings.

Leaving long gaps. A two-week gap in the log raises questions, even if the care was continuous and positive. Brief daily entries are far more useful than detailed weekly summaries.

Not recording medication refusals. If a child refuses medication, that is a medical event and should be logged, along with the response and any follow-up with the social worker or prescribing provider.

The Record of Care is one of the more demanding administrative requirements of fostering in New Brunswick, but it is also one of the clearest ways to demonstrate the quality of care you are providing. Built consistently, it becomes one of your most valuable tools — for the child's continuity, for your annual review, and for your own professional development as a caregiver.

For a complete walkthrough of the New Brunswick foster care application process, home safety requirements, and what to expect at each stage, see the New Brunswick Foster Care Guide.

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