​Every Child Deserves a Loving Home 

Our vision is a Muslim community that has opened its homes and hearts to children who were denied the right to be raised in a safe and caring family environment. We strive to enact this vision by educating, connecting with, and screening potential foster families. Funds raised will go towards spreading awareness of the importance of fostering in the Muslim community, and hiring a social worker who can conduct screening interviews and follow-ups with Muslim foster families. FosterLink's current region is southern Ontario, Canada.

Please visit our website to learn more about FosterLink.

Only One Certified Muslim Foster Family in the Entire Region?! 

If memory serves me correctly, it was 1987, when my mother welcomed three Pakistani foster children into our home. The mother of these children was murdered by their father. With neither of their parents in their lives, they stayed with a kind Christian foster family before a social worker from the Children’s Aid Society asked my mother to open our home to them. The children were eventually repatriated with their mother’s family in Pakistan. But the few months they were with us made an impression on me and my siblings. We shared our space and belongings, and made them part of our family. And we occasionally got a glimpse of the trauma they carry from the loss of their mother.

Fast-forward thirty years later. It’s April 2017 and a representative from Children’s Aid Society has asked to address the Friday congregation at our local mosque. He says that in their care are children from the Muslim community but there is only one certified Muslim caregiver family in our entire region.

Aggravated and puzzled, I picked up the letter and brochure the representative left behind with a determination of seeing a change in these numbers. 

You, I, and most of us enjoy a prosperous life in Canada. But poverty, poor health, domestic violence, and children from broken families exist. And we, as privileged Muslims, must do something about it, God willing.

Shahzad Mustafa
Mercy Mission Canada

What will the funds go towards?

An Educational/Promotional Documentary: $3,500 will go towards producing an educational/promotional video to teach the Muslim community about foster care, and the importance of fostering in Islam. This video will be  documentary-style highlighting Muslim foster parents, children who have benefited from foster care, and interviews with the FosterLink team. 

Employing a Social Worker: ​To pay the salary of a part-time social worker to conduct intake interviews of potential foster parents, working with our parterning foster care agency, and follow up with foster care candidates. We are earmarking $7,500 for four months of a part-time salary. 

Miscellaneous Marketing Expenses: $1,000 will be used for the cost of running events, producing banners and brochures, and website maintenance.

 How else can you help?

Giving generously this Ramadan by contributing to this campaign. We also need your help spreading the word on foster caregiving, so please share our website (fosterlink.ca) with your community.