FACT – There is no such thing as a perfect family.
Every relationship and every family has challenges. Miscommunication, temporary disconnection, hurt feelings, and anger are normal. It’s how we deal with these issues that matters most. The goal should be to ensure that we don’t let them take over our lives and ruin our relationships.
When we think of the families of children in foster care we almost always think of horrific family relationships. The truth is that children enter the foster care system for a variety of reasons – abuse, neglect, abandonment, death, inability to locate biological relatives, mental illness, and other health conditions.
FACT – Children and teens in foster care have experienced trauma
- The event that results in child welfare involvement is traumatic.
- Removal of the child from their home and family is traumatic.
- Shuffling a child from home to home and school to school is traumatic.
Different families and different institutional placements have different goals, values and rules. Broken relationships often result in a gap in acquiring basic life skills that many of with loving, supportive, “intact” families take for granted. Who taught you about the real world?
- Your great grandparent’s names
- To balance a check book
- To shave or flat iron your hair
- The dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
- Sexual and reproductive health
- To create a schedule and manage your time
- To write a resume and cover letter
- To dress professionally for an interview
- To pack an overnight bag
- Where to get your social security card
- To drive a car
- To make a doctor or dentist appointment
- To advocate for your health care rights
- To ask questions in class when you don’t understand the lesson
- The importance of a trade or college degree
- Warning signs of abusive relationships
- How love feels
- That you are amazing
Related Post: How Can Foster Care Lead To Adult Homelessness?
Nicki Sanders, MSW, Chief Visionary Officer
The Teen Toolbox utilizes youth portfolio development and civic engagement and academic empowerment strategies 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. We are committed to supporting and raising awareness about the needs and potential of teenagers in the foster care system.
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