The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Lisa Dempster Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a group of people who care deeply about the safety and well-being of children and youth in our province.

Throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, approximately 560 foster families provide safe, nurturing homes for children and youth.

Foster Families Week, held annually during the third week of October, is a special opportunity to express our heartfelt appreciation and respect for them.

These families play an inspiring role in the lives of children. Every child and every youth deserves to feel protected, safe and secure, and this is where foster families shine.

Author and former professor Jess Lair said “Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.”

Foster families open their hearts and homes to children and youth in need of comfort, safety and security. In doing so, they create endless opportunities for them to thrive and succeed.

The Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development recognizes the vital role foster parents play in our province and works closely with the Newfoundland and Labrador Foster Families Association to recruit and support foster parents.

I invite my colleagues in this Honourable House to join me in thanking our foster families for their inspiring contribution to the future of our province.

Thank you.