Two boys and a dream, that’s what it started as for two children in the Treatment Foster Care (TFC) program at Ranch Ehrlo Society.

The boys, ages 11 and 13, had high hopes of making their own money and decided the key to making those dreams come true was a good ol’ fashioned flyer route.   

Kids who grow up in the foster care system may be told that they can’t achieve, or that they’re destined to fail but these two boys have shown their community that anyone can reach their goals. It takes only one family to believe in them, one family to love them, and one family to support them.

The Ball family is that for these two children, fostering the boys for the past three and four years respectively.

Last spring the boys started working, delivering flyers in the neighborhoods of Prince Albert, two days per week, with their accompanying foster parents Doug and Joyce.

“The motivator for getting both boys involved in a flyer route was to teach them an appreciation for their personal belongings, especially the more expensive items,” explained Joyce.

Fast forward nine months and the kids are still out pounding the pavement, despite the cold temperatures and snowy conditions.

“Most kids won’t get that first job until 14, 15 or 16 years old so for them to do this at a very young age, with lots of their needs and struggles they’ve been through, is just so amazing to me,” said Dianna Stang, TFC program manager. “I think it has been good for their self-esteem. It teaches them good work ethic, money management, budgeting, and all those really important life skills.”

“Both Doug and I are extremely proud of the boys, they are dedicated and committed to getting their job done each week,” said Joyce.

With some financial help from their foster parents, one of the boys proudly purchased a Nintendo Switch, while the other was a tad more conservative, saving his earnings until two weeks ago when he bought a brand-new electric scooter.

“I thought it was quite admirable that both of them were able to save enough money to buy a couple of big-ticket items,” said Dianna. “These are boys who had some pretty significant needs and issues when they came into our program, so it was a huge success for them to be able to do this.”

Ranch Ehrlo’s TFC program is a community-based program that provides homes to children, ages six to 15, who require a more intensive level of care than traditional foster care. TFC works with the families of children placed in the program to help support healthy relationships, thus promoting family reunification or helping to find alternative placements if reunification is not possible.