Foster children still staying in Regina, Prince Albert hotels

There are still foster children living in hotels in Saskatchewan.

As of Monday at noon, the Ministry of Social Services confirmed there were 23 kids living in a Regina hotel, while another four kids were staying at a hotel site in Prince Albert.

The issue has been a recurring one for the ministry. The province thought it had a solution in June.

However, what’s been called a “last resort” continues to be the norm.

“It’s really been quite fluid throughout the summer,” stated Garry Prediger, acting executive director in child and family programs.

He explained that in July and August, there have been a total of 52 foster children who have been housed in hotels in Regina and 16 children in Prince Albert.

“There were very short periods throughout the summer where we weren’t in hotels in Regina,” Prediger said.

The average length of stay for these kids is 5.4 days. He said some have stayed longer than that.

The overall number of foster homes in Saskatchewan has seen a decline. Those that are taking kids in are at capacity, as Prediger said the ministry is still fielding a high number of calls which turn into a high number of apprehensions based on children’s safety.

An additional 13 emergency spaces were recently created to help address the problem. Prediger said they are now looking at contracting with a community-based partner in Regina for the rest of the fiscal year.

He again reiterated how there is still a need for more foster families in the province.