Foster Families

Keeping children out of institutions

The foster family system is relatively new to Haiti and is an important step in the process of deinstitutionalizing children toward family and community-based care. LFBS assists Haitian Social Services (IBESR) in establishing the foster family system, by supporting foster families in Southern Haiti.

Over the past several years, we have been able to place a large number of children in emergency care foster families when they were being transitioned out of neglectful and abusive situations. LFBS provides nutritional and medical support when needed, and supports foster families toward self-sufficiency by enrolling parents in our business start-up or agronomy and livestock programming.

The little girl pictured here was placed into a foster family that LFBS identified. With the help of IBESR, we were able to ensure this child was placed into a caring home after her birth mother was unable to provide the care the baby needed due to her own health issues.

This picture was taken recently with her foster parents when they took her to get baptized. In this case, these loving parents did not require any additional support from LFBS or IBESR, and instead invested their own money and resources into being a foster family.