Part 3: Navigating the Foster Care System to Bring Felt-Safety to the Kids

In this final Part 3 of the conversation, we recognize that there are many moments of transition for a youth in care. We know that transitions alone can be scary and alerting for us all, but especially for a child with an unknown future and very little voice in the matter. 

Youth in care experience the transition of coming into care but then may experience an additional move to a relative or fictive kin, reunification back home, or the transition to adoption/guardianship. While we try to prevent it at all costs, a youth might also experience a disruption from their foster family and a need to move to another one...or experience a mental health struggle that might land them in a hospital or residential stay. 

And each of these moves can bring with it more trauma and add more harm to their story. 

At each of these moments, the system doesn't always do a good job providing the youth with the felt-safety they need to make the move...but we can do better with this both as professionals and foster families. 

We'll cover all these moments of transition in Part 3.

Take a listen to Parts 1-3 of Navigating the Foster Care System to Bring Felt-Safety to the Kids. 

 

Episode references:

How to Talk to Your Child About Being in Foster Care podcast episode: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-being-in-foster-care/

Talking to Your Children About Foster Care & Adoption templates-email abennett@therestorenetwork.org for access. 

Maybe Days: A Book For Children in Foster Care: https://www.amazon.com/-/es/Maybe-Days-Book-Children-Foster/dp/1557988021

Tips for the Transition resource-email abennett@therestorenetwork.org for access. 

Restore Network's Trauma Informed Care Support Page: https://therestorenetwork.org/trauma-informed-resources/