Alberta honours foster, kinship caregivers [Video]

Alberta’s foster and kinship caregivers were honoured on Tuesday with a flag raising at the legislature grounds.

The province dedicates the entire month of October to foster and kinship caregivers, which number 1,500 and 2,200, respectively.

The sign raised Tuesday at the Queen Elizabeth II Building bore the logo of the Alberta Foster and Kinship Association (AFKA), which supports caregivers.

“Caregiving is a challenging role and it demands plenty of training, time, energy and, of course, compassion. Whether it’s listening to a young child or a shoulder to cry on, you embrace these challenges with open arms and help them stay as closely connected as possible to their culture and community,” Children and Family Services Minister Searle Turton commended caregivers at the ceremony.

“The relationships you have with these children and youth last a lifetime. Some of those relationships may come and go, but know that you’re a very important …