Foster parents fight to keep caring for son

Two Saskatchewan foster parents have launched a Facebook campaign as a last effort in their fight to keep caring for a young man they've raised for the last 15 years.

Shannon and Chris Gardiner have been raising Mathew Brandon for more than half his life.

Brandon has autism, cerebral palsy and fetal alcohol syndrome, and even though he's mentally still a toddler, because he turned 21 years old two months ago, social services considers him an adult.

At 21 years of age foster children are required to move to a group home.

The move has Shannon and Chris worried about Brandon's wellbeing.

"What if it doesn't work out," said Shannon. "Is there that ability for them [Social Services] to recognize that we could have been right. Would our 15 year commitment be honoured and would they come back to us."

Shannon said Social Services officials have told her that Brandon would not be brought back to them.

Social Services cannot discuss specific cases such as Brandon's, but officials said workers can help him adjust to his new home.

"Quite frankly the entire disability sector is in place to be able to do exactly that: understand the needs of individuals that might not be able to communicate for themselves what they need," said Kelley Moore, director of Community and Client Services.

But the Gardinersargued Brandon's case is more complicated than that, andafter 15 years, they know him better than anyone.

They said they feel the process is rushed and will hurt and confuse Matthew.

"He sees us as his parents," said Chris. "He knows us as mom and dad...we are symbolically his parents."

Brandon is scheduled to move out of his home with the Gardiner's in a week.