Celebrating Foster Families

During Foster Family Appreciation Week in October, CASO recognized the dedication and compassion of long-standing caregivers. One such family, the Merkleys, were featured in local media for their remarkable 13-year journey fostering 23 children. Their story highlighted the profound, lasting relationships that can be formed between foster families and birth parents. As Melanie Merkley shared:

We’re not just fostering a child—we’re fostering relationships.

For Melanie and her husband Ron, fostering has always been about more than providing a temporary home. It’s about attachment, love, and teamwork—showing children and their families that healing and reunification are possible. Their openness to staying in touch with birth parents long after a child leaves their home is a powerful example of fostering as a partnership, grounded in empathy and care.

Fostering has also had a lasting impact on the Merkley family’s own children, who have embraced their roles as foster siblings with pride and purpose. Melanie acknowledges the emotional challenges of saying goodbye, but emphasizes that this very heartbreak is a sign of having done something right.

If it ever gets easy, that’s when we’ll know it’s time to retire.

Melanie Markley

Their story reminds us that the heart of fostering lies in its relationships—and that every family who opens their home has the power to create lasting change.

Supporting Kin Connections

CASO also continues to champion kinship placements, which allow children to remain with extended family or close community members when they cannot live at home. Whether for a short time or as a long-term permanency option, kin caregivers play a vital role in maintaining continuity, cultural identity, and relational security. Kin placements are often the first consideration when children require a safety plan outside of their home, and we work closely with families to ensure they are supported through the process.

Building Lifelong Connections through Adoption

When reunification and kinship options are not possible, adoption offers children and youth the chance to grow in stable, loving families. Our approach to adoption emphasizes cultural safety, connection to identity, and life-long support.

In alignment with the Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA), CASO remains committed to recruiting adoptive families who reflect or can meaningfully support a child’s racial, cultural, and linguistic background. This is especially critical for First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Black children who remain overrepresented in child welfare. We also ensure that adoptive families are supported in helping youth navigate experiences of racism and systemic discrimination.

Our team works to ensure all placements are grounded in connection, belonging, and love.

Looking Ahead

We are actively working to:

• Recruit more 2SLGBTQIA+ affirming foster and adoptive families.
• Expand outreach to Black, Indigenous, and newcomer communities.
• Grow our network of culturally responsive caregivers.
• Create new caregiver education tools focused on trauma-informed care and permanency planning.

At CASO, we are committed to honouring the vital role of caregivers, building culturally safe supports, and ensuring every child and youth can belong in a family that reflects who they are.