Talking to your foster child about their situation
Children enter foster care for a variety of reasons, and they deserve to know why they can no longer live with their biological families.
Talking to them about their background and the truth about why they are in foster care, therefore, is essential in helping them adjust to their new life.
Discussing their foster child status
Foster children who enter a new family may have trouble adjusting to their new environment, and might also be conflicted between their family of origin and their foster home.
Although the foster family provides the support and care lacking in their biological family, the latter should also be talked about with validity and consideration. For instance, rather than talking about ‘contact’ with the child’s family of origin, you can refer to this activity as ‘family time’, ‘seeing family/mum/dad’ etc. This will instil a sense of normalcy.
Discussing their family of origin
Regardless of the circumstances leading to the child entering foster care, it’s important that you avoid speaking negatively about their birth parents.
Talking about the good parts is reassuring to the child and ensures that they know of their positive deeds and traits. If they are interested in finding out more about their birth family, support them in their search and tell them the facts in a manner respective of their age.
Learning and knowing about their family and the reasons why they are in foster care contributes to a child’s wellbeing and sense of identity, making them feel more settled in their new home than those who don’t understand why they’re in care.
Here at Beacon Fostering, we recognise the complexities involved in fostering, and are here to help.