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Working with Foster Parents to Mitigate Trauma During Placement

Sad children

When placing children in foster homes, social workers should be prepared and available to stay as long as needed to ensure the child is comfortable, have all information available and all their questions answered. 

Never drop off a child or make promises you cannot keep. 

Sharing Information with Foster Parents

Foster parents will be ill-equipped to mitigate Trauma if they are not given all information regarding the child. This includes details about the child's lived experiences and  what happened at the removal.  ​The child's ability to bounce back from a traumatic event such as a removal is through a relationship where they feel safe, respected and valued. ​​​

Important First Impressions

How well a social worker introduces a child to the foster home will impact how well the child  accepts the foster home and their longer term adjustment to foster care. ​

  • Introduce the child to all members of the foster home including family pets 

  • Show the child around the foster home

  • Ensuring the child is shown their bedroom and where they can store their belongings.  

 

Critical Roles during Placement

Social workers play a critical role in helping the child transition to the foster home. They introduce the child to the foster parents and facilitate the transfer of information. Conversations must occur in the presence of the child and foster parent and include:

  • all details of the removal, including if there was police involvement, if parents were cooperative or aggressive

  • the child's responses during the removal

  • the reasons why the child was removed from their parents

  • asking the foster parent how they can make the child feel safe

  • details of the child's care

  • contact information for the parent and instructions to for the foster parent and child to make contact with the parent on the evening of the removal if at all possible

  • details of visitation plan 

  • ​review rules and structure of the home to ensure the child is aware of what to expect if they wake in the middle of the night and when they get up in the morning. 

 

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