Help shape the future of your community!

North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS) and the Foster Families Association Ontario North-East (FFAONE) are hosting their 7th Annual Foster Recruitment Food Drive and BBQ fundraiser in support of the Timmins Food Bank on Friday, October 10, 2025.

Join us from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Johnson’s Your Independent Grocer in Timmins.

What to expect:

  • Donation Drive – Collection of non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, and personal hygiene items to support families in need.
  • BBQ Fundraiser – Enjoy hot dogs, hamburgers, and beverages for purchase by donation.
  • Foster Family Recruitment – Resource Workers and Foster Caregivers will be sharing information about the need for foster families in our region. They will also be promoting the provincial ‘There to Care’ campaign, which seeks to dispel misconceptions about foster care and recruit compassionate caregivers to provide temporary homes for children and youth when they cannot stay with their primary caregivers or with kin.
  • Special Guests – The Timmins Fire Department will be on site to help collect donations and share fire safety tips during Fire Prevention Week (October 5–11).

We all have a role to play in supporting the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families!

As an integrated agency providing child welfare services as one of its core services, NEOFACS is responsible for finding temporary homes for children and youth when they cannot stay with their primary caregivers or kin. With a staggering 33.6% decrease provincially in available foster homes since 2020, the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families is at risk. The demand for these compassionate individuals and families has never been higher.

Foster caregivers are a key part of the team that supports children and youth in the child welfare system, including by facilitating pathways to lifelong connections with family and community for the young people in their homes.

Every October, we celebrate our foster caregivers during Foster Family Appreciation Week, and we raise awareness that Children’s Aid Societies are community organizations that are part of the circle of care that supports the well-being of children, youth, and families with the Dress Purple Day Campaign. We focus on bringing awareness to the early help and supportive services available to families facing challenges and the prevention and early intervention work we do to support families and keep children and youth at home.

This year, Dress Purple Day is on Thursday, October 16, 2025 and Foster Family Appreciation Week is on October 20-24, 2025.

Join us, by being ‘There to Care’!

Are you interested in becoming a foster caregiver?

Together, we can make a difference by providing stable and nurturing environments for children and youth

To learn more about how you can be 'There to Care', visit theretocare.ca or contact NEOFACS at 705-360-7100 (Toll-Free: 1-866-229-5437) or info@neofacs.org.