Parent Information

The time children spend in foster care is easier when both sets of parents work together to nurture, encourage and love them.  To help facilitate the relationship, a Parent to Parent (P2P) meeting is held soon after the child is placed,.

The meeting is a chance for foster parents and birth parents to begin to get to know each other. The first meeting is usually brief,  lasting no more than thirty minutes.  The meeting is informal and includes the foster parents, the birth parents, case manager and possibly the child. The meeting is facilitated by the child’s case manager. During the meeting, information about the child is shared, the short range visitation plan may be discussed along with any other questions or concerns relating to the child's care. 

Communication between families caring for and responsible for children is key. The initial meeting is also an opportunity to plan how both sets of parents will effectively communicate and share responsibilities; to meet the needs of the children.  The plans can be as creative as necessary but typically include coordination to meet the child’s educational, medical and mental health needs. Important occasions such as birthdays and extracurricular activities are also considered. For more information please see Common Birth Parent Questions. 

To learn more about shared and partnership parenting, please see the Partnership Parenting brochure.