There have been times when a teenager has shocked you, frustrated you, disappointed you, or angered you — a child or foster child, a relative, a neighbor, or a client on your caseload. It’s OK to admit it. We’ve all been there.
As a teenager I was a huge LL Cool J fan. A self-proclaimed “Around the Way Girl”. I was channel surfing the other day and saw the video for LL Cool J’s hip hop love song “I Need Love” (although you can’t tell it from my blog posts I really don’t watch that much TV). Instead of taking me back to memories of bangle earrings and Kangol hats or a play boy turned sweetheart, my mind immediately went to teens at risk of aging out of foster care without a permanent family. I thought to myself “They Need Love” — not the teenage, romantic love in this song but permanent, familial love.
REAL LOVE! Isn’t that what we all want? To be loved and cared for unconditionally? To know that we belong to someone? Every young person deserves a safe place to call home with nurturing people who won’t disappear when they turn 18 or 21. Every teen in foster care should have a permanency plan that connects them with a person who will stand by them through shock, frustration, disappointment, and anger. Every teen in foster care deserves life-long encouragement, support, and acceptance.
If you like this blog, you might also be interested in reading our blog post You Want Me To Adopt A Teen From Foster Care?.
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox provides youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic enrichment opportunities to help teens set goals for life after high school and create a road map to reach those goals through its PACKAGED FOR SUCCESS™ Programs.