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The Impact of Fostering on Biological Children

The Impact of Fostering on Biological Children. FOSTERING QUESTIONNAIRE…. PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOSTERING QUESTIONNAIRE WHILE YOU ARE WAITING. AGENDA. Introductions and Ice Breaker Preparing Your Children to Foster The Benefits of Fostering Break Providing Support Closure.

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The Impact of Fostering on Biological Children

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  1. The Impact of Fostering onBiological Children

  2. FOSTERING QUESTIONNAIRE… PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOSTERING QUESTIONNAIRE WHILE YOU ARE WAITING

  3. AGENDA • Introductions and Ice Breaker • Preparing Your Children to Foster • The Benefits of Fostering • Break • Providing Support • Closure

  4. OBJECTIVES • Understand the importance of preparing your children for the fostering experience • Identify challenges and positives for the family that chooses to foster • Identify ways to ease family stress caused by fostering • Identify the three main phases of the placement process • Explain how post-placement reflection can contribute to the success of subsequent placements

  5. VIDEO CLIP

  6. Question? WHY SHOULD WE PREPARE CHILDREN FOR THE FOSTERING PROCESS?

  7. Federal Definition ofFoster Care - Foster Care Means • The 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the State agency has placement and care responsibility. • This includes, but is not limited to placements in: • Foster Family Homes • Foster Homes of Relatives • Group Homes • Emergency Shelters • Residential Facilities • Pre-Adoptive Homes • As stated in the (Code of Federal Regulations)[CITE: 45CFR1355.20]

  8. GROUPACTIVITY

  9. Sharing Your Process…

  10. THE THREE PHASES of PLACEMENTS

  11. Pre-Placement • Be prepared for the fact that your family structure and dynamics will change after accepting a foster child into your family • Family roles and interactions will change due to the presence of a new person in the family. • Talk to your whole family about the possible changes that might occur. • Include your whole family in the process of deciding whether or not to foster a child and which child to foster. • Expect a certain degree of conflict due to the differences in the life experiences of the foster child as compared to the life experiences of your own children. • Proactively identify any risks that the placement may present to your own children. • Involve your FSW in this discussion prior to placement, and identify safe boundary rules, utilizing written contracts on risks, which can be very helpful in setting up safety boundaries for all children in the home.

  12. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY CHALLENGES & BENEFITS (Adapted from Noble-Carr, D., Farnham, J., & Dean, C. (2014). Needs and Experiences of Biological Children of Foster Carers'’: A Scoping Study. Canberra: Institute of Child Protection Studies, ACU

  13. CHALLENGES and BENEFITS Write the three biggest challenges and three benefits that your child(ren)/grandchild(ren) may experience as a result of you fostering

  14. CHALLENGES and SOURCE of STRESS • Sharing • Discrepancies in discipline • Feelings of abandonment/less attention • Exposure to problematic behavior • Exposure to trauma • Responsibility and worry • Possible change in birth order • DCS

  15. Benefits of Fostering • Companionship • Opportunity to Mentor • Development of Flexible Thinking • Diversity • Importance of Family • Maturity • Empathy

  16. Reported changes by biological children (Poland & Groze, 1993) • My parents are stricter with my rules. • I feel left out, pushed back. • We don’t get to really sit down and talk to mom and dad like we used to. • A lot of jealousy arose. • I do more by myself and am not home as much. • We have become more responsible. • We have come to love a lot of kids and care about what happened to them.

  17. PLACEMENTS • Understand that in most cases, foster youth are being placed with strangers. This often will amplify their need for safety and support. • Pay close attention to your foster child’s reactions and emotional responses to you and your family. Adjust your actions as needed for the benefit of the child. • Understand that the beginning of the placement will be overwhelming for all parties - foster parents, individuals already living in the home, and the new foster child.

  18. PLACEMENTS • Allow time for your family to adjust to the new family member and the changes in family dynamics as a result of the placement. Relationships between family members may suddenly become closer or more distant as the family is shuffled around into their new roles. • Schedule and follow up with individual “check-ins” with your own children and the foster youth to address any concerns that develop. Especially if you notice any major changes in behavior during placements. • Expect issues of fairness, dissimilarity, and risk factors to surface amongst the children in your home. Respond directly to the challenges as they arise. • Seek out foster family supports as needed during the placement.

  19. “Children are depending on them for emotional security and support. And while fostering can be a very rewarding, and positive experience, children need to feel supported, acknowledged, and included.” (Noble-Carr, D., Farnham, J., & Dean, C. (2014). Needs and Experiences of Biological Children of Foster Carers: A Scoping Study.)

  20. BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY… WHAT ARE SOME WAYS TO VALIDATE YOUR CHILDREN’S NEEDS?

  21. REMEMBER… When children feel validated, they are more open and receptive to new experiences, especially their role in fostering.

  22. Providing Support • Preparation Prior to Fostering • Teach Coping Skills • Spend Time Together • Support the Child Through the Grief/Loss • Support Groups

  23. Preparation Prior to Fostering • Explain to your child that once foster children are placed in the home, they will now share your parenting attention, time and love • Explain what it means to be a foster child (i.e., placement changes, loss of privacy, loss of birth family, etc.) • Differences in discipline

  24. Teach Coping Skills • Talk with your children about their feelings and concerns • Allow them to have their feelings and feel free to express them • Teach your child what to do if/when a foster child gets angry • Teach them appropriate ways to express anger • Develop a list of house rules together

  25. Spend Time Together • Know the importance of listening and communicating together • Establish one-on-onetime with each child in the home • Amount of time can be short but needs to be regular, (i.e., “help” with chores, homework) • Let your children suggest some of the activities

  26. Support the Child Through Their Grief and Loss • Grief/loss – safe place to grieve • Have going away party for foster child • Give foster child present (memory box, scrapbook, card, pictures, etc.)

  27. Support Groups • Support groups with other children whose caregivers are foster parents.

  28. POST-PLACEMENT • TRANSITIONS • GRIEF & LOSS • REFLECTION • REGROUP • POST-PLACEMENT • Most importantly, LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE. Providing foster care is challenging, yet it can be a rewarding experience for all involved.

  29. CLOSURE COURSE REACTION SURVEYS CERTIFICATES Thank You!

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