MONTREAL — When Marie-Pierre Ulysse needs to place a distressed child in foster care on an emergency basis, Gloria Julien is often at the top of her list.
Over the last 25 years, Julien has been such a dedicated foster parent for Batshaw Youth and Family Centres that she can’t keep track of how many children she has taken into her LaSalle home.
“I have cared for about 40 to 50 children, and they’re almost all doing very well,” said the retired nurse, who also has three children of her own.
And Julien, 61, said she has no intention of slowing down.
At present, she is taking care of three children, age 2 months to 2 years, who were placed with her on a short-term, emergency basis.
“It’s like having triplets,” she joked. “These kids are keeping me going. I look forward to watching out for them and caring for them.”
Batshaw, which serves the Montreal region’s anglophone community, is as always in desperate need of foster parents from all racial and ethnic backgrounds.
In order to avoid moving children out of the neighbourhoods where they live, Batshaw is particularly trying to recruit parents from LaSalle, Lachine and Verdun, where their referral numbers are high.
Applicants should be anglophone, single or married, between age 25 and 55.
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In an effort to boost its number of foster parents, the social services agency is holding a rare open house on Wednesday to introduce Montrealers to the world of foster care.
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Foster parents will be on hand to give testimonials, and Batshaw staff will present prospective foster parents with information on support and services that are available once a child is placed in a home, said Ulysse, a manager in the foster care department.
Foster parents receive financial support to help cover the costs of raising a child, she said.
The agency has 50 children in temporary care who need a permanent home. Most of the children in need of long-term care are infants and children up to age 5.
Overall, the agency has 341 children with foster families and another 188 children have been placed with a member of their family.
Julien began taking children into her home after reading an article about foster care. She called Batshaw for information and knew right away it was for her.
“I was at ease with it and I said: ‘This is important. I am going to look after kids.’ ”
Julien said the most important things she gives her foster children are love, stability and nurturing. “They need to know that you aren’t going to give up on them,” she said.
Children are often referred to Batshaw because their parents can’t care for them properly. Often there are issues of substance abuse, violence, neglect or mental illness.
The agency’s policy is to try to place children with a member of their family or someone within their community network.
When that is not possible, it reaches out to experienced foster parents like Julien for assistance.
If the parents’ situation improves, every effort is made to reunite the child with his or her family.
Both Batshaw and the Centre jeunesse de Montréal, the agency that handles foster-care placements for francophone children on the island of Montreal, are looking for foster parents so they can properly match children with the right foster family.
When assessing whether a foster parent is suitable, Batshaw looks at many variables, said Suzanne Chang, also a manager in the foster care department.
They look at whether the parent has enough strength and energy to handle a child; they look at their parenting skills, support system and links in their community.
“We want to make sure they understand the needs of children who have undergone a lot of trauma,” she said.
Julien said as long as new foster parents take advantage of all the services offered by Batshaw and its social workers, most problems can get ironed out.
“If you love kids and have a warm heart, go ahead and do it,” she suggested. “There is nothing to be scared of.”
For information on how to become a foster parent, visit www.batshaw.qc.ca or call 514-989-1885.
The open house takes place on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 6 Weredale Park in Westmount.
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