Permanency Tip of the Week: Dealing with Grief and Loss for the Permanent Connections
Our Youth and Young Adults are not the only ones who have to deal with issues of grief and loss. When we are pursuing a permanent connection, we should explore any past or present resolved or unresolved issues of grief and loss for this individual / family. As the attachment process moves forward, any unresolved issues often resurface in a very intense and painful manner which can result in serious complications for the relationship and may end up disrupting it.
Permanency Story of the Week: Fostering A Change – Permanency for Former Foster Youth in Long Beach
Fostering A Change envisions a future in which every youth leaving the foster care system has a home as well as a community of caring adults waiting for them after 18. We believe consistent, long-term help from the heart is the foundation for the success of our youth so that they can thrive and enjoy productive, satisfying lives.
Fostering a Change is a start-up non-profit organization begun by Jennifer Valko, a former foster youth, who found a permanent home through adoption. Unfortunately, she was separated from her biological siblings at a young age and they were left behind to grow up in the foster care system. After reuniting with her biological siblings and hearing their stories of emancipation from foster care, Jennifer made a commitment to make a difference in the lives of young adults making the transition from foster care to independent living. Jennifer recruited a group of committed, experienced professionals from a variety of disciplines to help bring her vision of The Lotus House to life.
Current Permanency Related Articles:
How Grief Goes Unnoticed in Foster Children — and the Underlying Trauma that it Causes
ACEs Connection Network – I have attended several funerals during my lifetime. At one, when I was still in high school, I remember watching the mother of a friend throw herself over her son’s casket, unable to contain her emotions…In any other public situation, these types of outbursts would be deemed unacceptable. But, at a funeral, when individuals are grieving, it seems we have an unstated rule that any and all behavior is acceptable, and it probably should be. However, what if you lost a loved one over and over again? What if they presumably died more than once? For some of the children lost in our foster care system, that is exactly the case. They are pulled from their parents, and placed in a presumably safer environment. Some are reunited, only to be pulled again. Others will never see their parents again. How are they allowed to grieve?
How Routine Can Help Your Foster Child Heal
All families have some sort of routine and patterns of behavior that exist within their home. If your family is like my own, your own family has a routine that you follow on a daily or regular basis. Depending upon the type of household your foster child came from, he may not be familiar with your day to day routine. Indeed, he may come from a home that had no set routine or schedule. Many of my own foster children have come from such a household. Even more, your foster child may have lived in a home where there were no expectations of him, and no rules for him to follow. It is important that you include your foster child into your family, and into your routine
For the half million foster children* in the United States, paying for college presents formidable challenges. Fortunately, several programs initiate scholarships, grants and loans that are exclusively available to the subset of students who are adopted or currently in foster care. The number of foster care scholarships continues to grow, and the early part of the century saw several states codify new assistance and tuition waiver programs for foster kids and adoptees.
Public and private scholarships originate at the state and federal levels, providing access to college for former foster children. Each program employs unique application protocols, so specifics are best handled by individual program administrators and campus financial aid offices.
FOCUS on Foster Families – – NEW Resources!
The smartphone / tablet application has NEW videos and resources for youth and caregivers! Watch new videos covering key topics, including: 1) Moving to a new area; 2) Finding support; 3) Locating resources; 4) Managing difficult behaviors; Now Available! Spanish Language Handouts – Select handouts are now available in Spanish throughout the app, visit your favorite videos or the resources section to view them all.
Get the app on your phone or tablet by visiting the App Store or Google Play Store.
Testifying in Court about Trauma: The Court Hearing
Testifying in court can be a difficult and stressful experience for clinicians. But judges and lawyers are not experts in child development or the impact of trauma on children. The knowledge clinicians bring to bear is essential if the legal system is to have any hope of making sound decisions that will serve children’s interests. By educating the court through testifying, clinicians provide an invaluable service to the legal system and, most importantly, to children.
Partnerships in Action: Together We Rise
A great example of the power of collaboration is Together We Rise. This nonprofit organization partners with foster care agencies, social workers, and other agencies to bring their services to life. By forming community partnerships, Together We Rise provides foster youth throughout the country with bicycles, college supplies, and suitcases. Through one project, “Sweet Case,” they provide children in foster care with a decorated duffle bag that contains items including a hygiene kit, a blanket, coloring boots, and crayons.