Editor’s note: Foster caregivers are identified by just their first names to help protect the privacy and confidentiality of children and youth in care.
HALDIMAND—Once a child whose future depended on the kindness of foster parents, Shendah is now opening her own door to children in need – continuing a legacy of love that began decades ago.
As Child and Family Services of Grand Erie (CFSGE) celebrates Foster Family Appreciation Week from October 18 to 24, 2026, the organization is recognizing the dedication of foster caregivers while highlighting a growing need for more families willing to open their homes.
The need is significant. As of October 2026, CFSGE had fewer than 40 foster homes across its service area, representing a 60% decrease over the past four years.
With very few homes available for full-time placements, the organization is struggling to find local care for children and youth who temporarily cannot remain with their families.
For Shendah, now approaching her third year as a foster caregiver, the importance of that work is deeply personal.
Adopted at a young age, she grew up surrounded by fostering. Her first foster parents, Susan and Gerry Holyome, cared for her as a baby and remain an important part of her life as her godparents.
Her adoptive parents, Mary-Jane and Ron Buttenham, continued that legacy, fostering children for more than 30 years while raising Shendah.
Watching her parents welcome children into their home inspired Shendah to follow in their footsteps.
“I’ve been wanting to be a foster parent since I was 20 years old,” she recalled.
However, Shendah initially believed she needed to be married and have the perfect family situation before she could become a foster parent. Now a single mother, she has welcomed two foster placements into her home, with her first placement successfully returning to family.
Her father, Ron, who passed away on October 31, 2025, also developed a particularly close relationship with her first foster son. For Shendah, that bond was another example of how fostering can enrich the lives of everyone involved. She said fostering gave her father a grandson he never had, making the upcoming anniversary of his passing especially meaningful.
Her experiences growing up have helped her understand the uncertainty children can face when entering care.
“I am who I am today because of somebody deciding to be a foster parent,” she said.
Those experiences have shaped her approach to caring for children, particularly when the length of a placement is uncertain.
Rather than assuming a placement will be temporary, she considers whether she could provide care over a longer period if necessary.
“Kids need love, right? They need structure. They need stability. They need somewhere that they feel safe.”
She also understands that fostering isn’t always easy and requires patience, sacrifice, and a willingness to navigate difficult circumstances.
Still, she hopes people won’t allow the idea of needing a perfect home or traditional family structure to discourage them from exploring fostering.
“I’m a single parent, you know – I’m not in that white picket fence,” she said.
Her experience has also shown her the importance of support networks. Along with assistance from CFSGE workers, she relies on experienced foster caregivers, including her mother, godparents, and longtime mentors.
For Heather and Jamie, fostering has been a family commitment spanning nearly two decades.
The couple began fostering 19 years ago when their youngest biological child was five. Since then, they have welcomed 28 long-term placements, along with numerous emergency and relief placements.
They have also adopted a daughter.
With four children in their family, Heather and Jamie emphasize that fostering has never been something they have done alone.
“Our foster experience has been a whole family involvement. We are a foster family, not just foster parents,” they explained.
The couple was inspired by another family involved in fostering and wanted to provide children in their own community with the same nurturing environment.
“We continue fostering because we have seen first-hand the difference that a loving, stable home can make in a child’s life,” they said.
Although goodbyes can be difficult, the couple has learned that a placement ending does not erase the relationships formed along the way.
“Fostering has taught us that our hearts break when our time together is done, but we have to remember that the goodbyes don’t erase the love, memories, or connection we have shared together.”
Maintaining relationships with former placements has been particularly meaningful. Recently, they received a message from a young person they had cared for as a newborn, sharing news of an academic accomplishment many years later.
Seeing former foster children thriving in their community also reminds them why they continue.
Building relationships with children’s biological parents and extended families has been another rewarding aspect of their experience.
That commitment to family connections reflects an important part of CFSGE’s approach to fostering.
CFSGE Executive Director Gabe Minor said the organization is seeking caregivers who understand the importance of family reunification and providing care that respects each child’s background, identity, and community connections.
CFSGE serves Brantford, Brant County, Haldimand County, Norfolk County, and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.
As of March 31, 2026, the organization had 146 children in its care, including those in foster and kinship placements.
The shortage of local caregivers can mean children are placed farther from home, disrupting their relationships with family, friends, schools, and familiar communities.
Minor said additional foster homes would improve the organization’s ability to keep children closer to those important connections.
The agency is looking for individuals and families interested in full-time, emergency, or relief fostering, with a particular need for caregivers able to support children with enhanced medical or behavioural needs.
CFSGE provides training, ongoing guidance, and additional resources to help caregivers meet those needs.
Prospective foster parents can come from different backgrounds and life circumstances, including working adults, single people, and retirees.
Shendah believes misconceptions about eligibility prevent some people from exploring the opportunity.
She recalled conversations with people who assumed they were too old, too busy, or otherwise unsuitable to become caregivers.
She also encouraged prospective foster parents to consider the lasting impact of providing a safe environment, even when a child eventually returns home.
Heather and Jamie offered a similar message.
“It’s not always easy, but it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do. You don’t have to be a child’s forever family to be an important part of their story.”
For Shendah, the hope is that sharing her experiences will encourage at least one person to consider fostering.
“I just really hope that I can touch somebody out there, and if it’s just one person, that’s one home opening up to children.”
Those interested in learning more about fostering can contact Child and Family Services of Grand Erie at 1-888-753-8681 or visit cfsge.ca for information about virtual information sessions and the application process.
