Foster Parent Rights and Responsibilities in Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan's foster care system is a professional relationship between licensed caregivers and the Ministry of Social Services. That relationship comes with clearly defined rights and responsibilities on both sides — but many foster parents, particularly new ones, don't know what they're entitled to or what's actually required of them.

Rights of Saskatchewan Foster Parents

The right to information about the child. When a child is placed in your home, you have the right to receive information that is necessary to care for them appropriately. This includes: known allergies and current medications, any diagnosed medical or mental health conditions, the child's Saskatchewan Health card number, their current school, and the name of the child's First Nation and any relevant cultural protocols.

In practice, emergency placements sometimes arrive with incomplete information — the placement is urgent and documentation catches up later. You have the right to follow up and get this information, and your caseworker is responsible for providing it.

The right to participate in care planning. Every child in care has a Care Plan that outlines the goals for their placement — usually reunification, kinship placement, or long-term care. Foster parents are active members of the care team. You have the right to participate in the development and review of the Care Plan and to share your observations about the child's progress.

The right to accept or decline a placement. MSS placement workers will call you when a match is identified. You have the right to say no to a specific placement based on your current circumstances — your own children's needs, the current number of children in your home, the specific needs of the child being matched. This right is foundational. You are a licensed caregiver, not a storage facility.

The right to adequate financial support. The Ministry is required to pay the applicable maintenance rate for each child in your care. If you are caring for a child whose needs warrant a higher PRIDE pay level, you have the right to apply for that reclassification with supporting documentation.

The right to 24-hour support. After-hours crisis support is available through regional crisis centres:

• Regina: 306-569-2724
• Saskatoon: 306-933-6200
• Prince Albert: 306-764-1011

You also have the right to access support from the SFFA (Saskatchewan Foster Families Association) at 1-800-667-7002, which operates independently of MSS and can advocate on your behalf if you have concerns about how your case is being managed.

The right to a fair complaint process. If you disagree with an MSS decision affecting your foster home — a placement decision, a payment issue, a licensing matter — you have the right to raise a concern through the Ministry's complaint and review process. (See the separate section on the complaint and appeal process for details.)

Responsibilities of Saskatchewan Foster Parents

Meeting the physical safety and care standards. Foster parents are required to maintain the physical standards that were assessed during the home study. This means keeping smoke detectors working, medications locked, firearms secured, and bedroom spaces adequate. Annual licensing reviews include a home safety check.

Maintaining daily logs. For specialized, therapeutic, or longer-term placements, foster parents are typically required to keep detailed daily logs documenting the child's health, education, family visits, and any incidents. These logs are not optional paperwork — they're the documentary record that supports Care Plan reviews, court proceedings, and any subsequent investigations.

Reporting incidents. Any significant incident involving a child in your care — a medical emergency, a runaway attempt, property damage, police contact — must be reported to the child's caseworker. Reporting is immediate, not at the next convenience.

Supporting the child's relationships with their birth family. Unless a court order specifically restricts it, foster parents are responsible for facilitating the child's relationship with their birth family. This includes supporting visitation, facilitating phone calls, and cooperating with the birth family in a respectful manner. Foster parents who undermine birth family contact — even when they privately disagree with the reunification goal — breach their care responsibilities and their licensing conditions.

Maintaining cultural connections for Indigenous children. Given that over 80% of Saskatchewan's in-care children are Indigenous, this is a responsibility that applies to the vast majority of Saskatchewan foster parents. Under both the Child and Family Services Act and federal Bill C-92, you are required to actively support the child's connection to their First Nation or Métis community — including facilitating attendance at cultural events, supporting language exposure where possible, and cooperating with the First Nations Representative or delegated agency caseworker assigned to the child.

Completing ongoing training. After your initial PRIDE pre-service training, the SFFA and MSS expect ongoing professional development. Annual conferences, training modules on topics like FASD or sexual exploitation, and First Aid/CPR recertification are part of maintaining your licensure.

Renewing your license annually. Your Foster Home License requires annual renewal through a Family Development Plan review. This involves a home safety check and updated criminal record declarations. You are required to disclose any criminal record charges (not just convictions) that occur during your fostering.

When Rights and Responsibilities Conflict

The most common friction point is the tension between a foster parent's care instincts and the Ministry's reunification mandate. A foster parent who has bonded with a child may disagree with returning the child to birth parents. But the legal framework is clear: unless the child has been made a permanent ward of the Crown, reunification remains the primary goal.

Understanding the legal structure — what role you play as a licensed caregiver versus what authority the Ministry holds — reduces friction and helps you focus your energy where it belongs: on the child.

For a complete breakdown of foster parent rights, the complaint process, and how to navigate difficult situations with MSS caseworkers, the Saskatchewan Foster Care Guide walks through the key pressure points experienced caregivers wish they'd known from the start.

See more Canada guides →