Caregiver's Guide to Child Development and Challenges: A Workshop by Foster Youth Achievement Program

1. Stages of Development, Common Childhood Challenges, & When to Seek Additional Support: A Caregiver’s Guide to Home & Educational Stability PUPIL SERVICESFOSTER YOUTH ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM CAREGIVER ENGAGEMENT WORKSHOPDecember 2014 Los Angeles Unified School District

2. The Importance of Caregiver Engagement Engagement goes beyond involvement by “motivating and empowering families to recognize their own needs, strengths, and resources and to take an active role in working toward change” (Steib, 2004).

3. Pupil Services Mission Statement “To ensure that all LAUSD students are enrolled, attending, engaged and on-track to graduate”

4. Foster Youth Achievement Program, LAUSD LAUSD has worked closely with community stakeholders on program development, formulating program goals and expected outcomes. The goals of the Foster Youth Achievement Program are to: • Provide support services to all foster youth attending LAUSD schools • Conduct comprehensive academic assessments • Promote school stability • Facilitate timely enrollment • Improve caregiver participation in the academic process • Provide continuous training and education on legislation and policy related to foster youth

5. Expected Outcomes from Foster Youth Achievement Program It is expected that the comprehensive academic assessments conducted and interventions implemented by counselors within the Foster Youth Achievement Program will serve to: • Increase attendance rates • Reduce chronic absenteeism • Reduce number of suspensions • Improve performance on state tests • Increase graduation rates • Reduce drop out rates

6. Caregiver Engagement The Foster Youth Achievement Program aims to increase caregiver engagement in the academic process by: • Providing 4 regional Caregiver Workshops this school year: • October • December • February • May • Offering caregiver support groups and workshops in schools • Distributing Foster Youth Newsletter quarterly • Conducting caregiver outreach at local community events

7. Stages of Development • What are stages of development? • Why are they important to recognize ?

8. Infancy: The first year of development • The first year of life-typical development • Physical Development/Movement: Sitting, crawling • Communication/Language: Babbling, single words • Social-Emotional: Laughing, responding to comfort • Cognitive-Learning, Problem-Solving and Thinking: Cause and effect • What You Can Do: • Attend all well baby check-ups • Talk and play with you baby • Report concerns

9. The Importance of Attachment • What is attachment? • Secure Attachment: When a baby’s needs are consistently met, the baby/child will develop confidence in their world. • Insecure Attachment: This happens when care is inconsistent, the environment is unpredictable. The baby/child can feel a sense of helplessness. Infants with insecure attachment status are at risk of developing social, emotional or behavioral problems in childhood or later in life. • What can you do? • Provide a loving, consistent and predicable home life • Be patient

10. Toddlers • Toddlers: The age of ”No” • Physical Development: Walking, running, jumping • Social-Emotional Development: Independence • Language Development: 200 words by 2, two words together • Self-Help and Problem-Solving Development: finger feed • How can you help? • Stay calm • Be consistent • Read to your toddler • Teach and model behavior

11. Toddlers: When to be Concerned • If language isn’t developing as expected • If your child’s tantrums are beyond the norm: Think duration (how long), intensity and interval (how often) • If your toddler is having difficulty with eating or sleeping • If your toddlers resists being comforted • If there is a lack of eye contact

12. Preschoolers • Children ages 3-5: The age of aggression and independence • Physical Skills: Riding a tricycle, catching a ball • Communication Skills: Complex sentences, answering and asking ‘Wh’ questions • Self-Help and Problem-Solving Skills: Mastering bathroom skills, feeding self, cleaning and dressing self; as well as completing puzzles • Social-Emotional Development: Morality, friendships, independence, sense of self

13. Preschoolers: Common Behaviors • Some behaviors common to preschoolers: • Stuttering • Elaborate Storytelling • Back-talk • Attention Span • Opposition • Aggression

14. Preschoolers: How Can You Help? • How to support the healthy development of a preschooler: • Keep reading to your child • Give your child simple tasks/chores • Give your child choices • Be consistent • Be patient • Encourage your child to play with peers • Have activities ready if you expect your child to sit/attend for longer that 15-20 minutes

15. Preschoolers: When to be Concerned • When to be concerned: • Aggressive behaviors are extreme, frequent or chronic • Self-injurious behaviors when frustrated • Prolonged or frequent tantrums • Prefers to be alone rather than with peers • Speech is understood less than 70% of the time • Difficulty with transitions or when routines are changed • Limited expressive or receptive language • Difficulty eating or sleeping

16. Early Elementary Development • Early elementary (5 – 8 years old): What is important? • Children are now entering school • Academic skills and sustained attention • Friendships and peer groups • Relationships with teachers and other adults

17. Late Elementary Stage • Late elementary (9-11 years old) What is typical? • Friendships/peer relationships are more important than before; Tweens become more vulnerable to peer pressure • Thinking and Learning: Academic challenges increase, attention span increases • Technology and Social Media: The interest in gaming, and social media may begin to increase here

18. Early & Late Elementary Stage • What can you do to support the elementary school aged child? • Be involved: Friends, school, hobbies • Help your child to set goals • Discuss bullying and the responsible use of social media • Be a listener: Make eye contact, ask questions, be non-judgmental • Rules should be clear and consistent

19. Elementary Age: Concerns • When to be concerned? • School failure, lack of interest, resistance, or refusal • Lack of peer relationships • Over or under eating • Lethargy, or lack of interest in activities typical for their age • Excessive or intense aggression (towards property, people or animals), tantruming or crying • Self-injurious behavior and/or suicidal thoughts or behaviors

20. Middle & High School Stage • Middle School (11 to 13 years old) and High School (14 to 18 years old) correspond to the adolescent stage of development. Typical development can be categorized in these four areas: • Physical • Mental • Emotional • Social

21. Typical Adolescent Development • Physical Changes • Changes in hormones • Increases in height and weight • Becoming more focused on physical concerns • Mental Changes • Developing more abstract thinking skills • Developing own beliefs • Beginning to question authority

22. Typical Adolescent Development Continued • Emotional Changes • Can be quick to change • Feel more intensely • Can lead to risk taking and impulsive behavior • Social Changes • Peer influence increases • Notice sexual identity • May experiment with different levels of social and cultural identity

23. Signs of Trouble – Emotional Symptoms • Depressed mood and/or mood swings • Excessive anxiety or guilt • Excessive irritability or anger • Lack of inhibition • Lack of emotional response • Helplessness or hopelessness • Low self-esteem

24. Signs of Trouble – Physical Symptoms • Hormonal – irregular menstrual cycle • Changes in normal patterns – overeating or not eating at all, sleeping too much or sleeping much less • Changes in appearance and hygiene • Eyes bloodshot or glassy • Weight gain or weight loss

25. Behaviors to Monitor • Angry/aggressive behavior • Poor concentration • Anxious • Withdrawn • Increased tardiness or absences • Self-injurious behaviors (cutting)

26. As you NOTICE signs, ask yourself, are they: • FREQUENT ? • (e.g., student is quiet, withdrawn over multiple days/weeks) • EXTREME ? • (e.g., violent outburst) If either: • TALK with child • ACT by communicating what you’ve seen/heard Mental Health Professionals

27. How to Help if You Suspect A Problem • Listen nonjudgmentally • Give reassurance (although do not discount the youth’s feelings) • Encourage or seek appropriate professional help • Encourage positive coping strategies • Exercise • Listening to positive music • Having a good social support system • Positive affirmations/self talk • Having good problem-solving skills

28. What is Trauma? • Psychological trauma : • An emotional shock that makes a lasting impression on one’s thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors • Threatens sense of safety and security • Causes of trauma: • Assault, abuse, violence, death/loss of a love one, natural disasters, acts of war, terrorist events, actual or perceived threat to safety (physical or emotional) to self or others

29. Impacts of Trauma • Learning difficulties – concentration, distractibility • Regressive behaviors -bed wetting, thumb sucking • Personality changes- more irritable, temper tantrums, withdrawn • Sleep disturbance and problems eating • Somatic problems- head and stomach aches • Changes world view

30. What Can I do to Help My Youth…. • Providing support and encouragement to youth • Linking to resources • Maintaining a loving relationship and stable home and school setting • Provide structure and a sense of security • Listen and answer questions • Seek mental health services if concerns persist over time

31. Importance of Stability & Permanency for Youth in Care • What does stability and permanency mean? • Stability – a foster youth typically tends to have a lack of a stable school and home setting before and/or during DCFS placement, due to frequent changes or moves in school and placements. • Example: A foster youth changes schools 3 times a year due to change of placements, is not providing stability to the youth. • Permanency – a healthy, trusting, caring, and safe relationship and/or place that is long-lasting and permanent. • Example: A foster parent that continues to have a healthy and loving relationship with a foster youth after they leave placement; continue to involve and invite to family events.

32. Importance of Stability & Permanency for Youth in Care • Some legal initiatives to assist with stability in school and placement settings to assist with improving more foster youth in graduating from high school and going on to college. • Assembly Bill (AB) 490 – remain in their school of origin • Senate Bill (SB) 1353 – DCFS social worker consider effects of school transfers when making placement decisions

33. Importance of Stability & Permanency for Youth in Care • Why is it so imperative for youth to have stability and permanency while in the foster care system? • Related negative outcomes: • Numerous placements and multiple associated losses can cause lifelong trauma that leads to higher risk of poor life outcomes, i.e. incarceration, school failure, high unemployment rate, more likely to continue abuse cycle, dependency of welfare services, homeless, abuse of narcotics and/or alcohol, mental health issues, etc. • Lack of attachment or meaningful healthy relationships due to numerous placements and lack of permanency, research shows foster youth are more likely to become pregnant at early age and have those children also placed in foster care, be in abusive relationships, and continue the abuse and neglect cycle.

34. Adult Outcomes for Foster Youth Within the first 2-4 years after transitioning out of foster care: • Only 25% are consistently employed • 68% receive public assistance • 27% of the homeless population spent time in foster care • One in four will be incarcerated McCoy-Roth, et. al, (2010), “Numbers of Youth Aging Out of Foster Care Continues to Rise; Increasing 64 Percent since 1999.” Fostering Connections Resource Center. Child Welfare Information Gateway, (2012), “Foster Care Statistics 2009., Pew Charitable Trust and Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative, (2007) “Time for Reform: Aging Out and On Their Own,” Pecora, et. al, (2005), “Improving family foster care: Findings from the Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study.” Casey Family Programs, Courtney, et. al, (2005), “Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Age 19,” Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, Smith et. al, (2009), “The National Report on Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: America's Prostituted Children.” Shared Hope International, Independent Living Program Policy Unit, Child and Youth Permanency Branch, California Department of Social Services, (2002), “Report on the Survey of the Housing Needs of Emancipated Foster/ Probation Youth.”

35. What YOU Do Makes a Difference • By recognizing typical development and typical challenges you model patience, understanding and empathy. • By knowing when to and how to seek additional support you are increasing the likelihood of stability in the life of your foster child. • By providing a caring and stable supportive home setting, you are increasing the positive educational and future outcomes for the foster youth.

36. How To Reach Us Coordinator La Shona Jenkins Lashona.jenkins@lausd.net Specialists Karen Timko karen.timko@lausd.net Megan Brown meb0347@lausd.net (213) 241-3552 Foster Youth Achievement Program Lead Counselors Francisco Vasquez (Central) francisco.vasquez@lausd.net Maral Sousani (ESC North) maral.sousani@lausd.net Rachel Coates (ESC North) rachel.coates@lausd.net Michelle Huber (ESC North) mmh9264@lausd.net Norlon Davis (ESC South) norlon.davis@lausd.net Marcia Price (ESC South) marcia.price@lausd.net Verenisa Alfaro (ESC South) verenisa.alfaro@lausd.net Dianna Armenta (ESC East) dxa16291@lausd.net Jennifer Rios-Zambrano (ESC East) jmr9347@lausd.net April Jones (ESC West) april.p.jones@lausd.net Katrina Taylor (ESC West) katrina.taylor@lausd.net

37. Mission It is our mission to provide comprehensive services to maximize educational achievements, emotional well-being, and social development for all children in out-of-home care.

38. Questions?