On June 22, 1973, the Foster Parents Association of Ontario was formed in Toronto at the Toronto CAS.  The members were a group of Foster Parent Association’s representatives who met under the direction of the OACAS.  This was the beginning of the FPA’s networking across Ontario.  Initially, the FPAO had eleven (11) Regions whose representatives came from their foster parent associations or agencies.  This continued until 1980, after which time funds generated, from conferences which enabled the representatives to be reimbursed for expenses.  In 1986 the regions were realigned and increased to 21, matching the OACAS’s structure.

McMaster University was the location of the first Foster Parent Association of Ontario Conference, it was held in conjunction with the OACAS Conference in June 1975.  For the next six years, the conferences were held bi-annually also in conjunction with OACAS.  After this time the FPAO took on the responsibility of holding their own conferences in different areas of the province.  In 1987, at the University of Guelph, during an Annual General Meeting the general membership of FPAO voted to become an incorporated body and become independent from OACAS.  Incorporation was realized on March 29, 1990 and the Foster Parents Association of Ontario became the Foster Parents Society of Ontario.  One of the very first major activities taken on by members of FPSO was the development of a mission statement, “The Foster Parents Society of Ontario is the dedicated voice of foster families in Ontario.”

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