Laura • Foster Parent Partner

Small moments can be significant. 💛 if a child has experienced food insecurity heres some things that may help: keeping a stocked fridge, allowing kids to keep snacks in their room/have access to food at any time, keep/maintain a consistent meal schedule, dont shame or punish food hoarding or sneaking, dont discuss financial worries in front of the child, get professional support if needed 💛 what would you add? #fosterparent #fostercare #fosterparenting #foodinsecurity

Here are some tips for new foster parents for that first week with a new child in your home. 💛 #fosterparent #fostercare #fosterparenting

Many new foster parents spend months preparing—setting up bedrooms, decorating, and imagining the day a child arrives. But when that moment comes, it’s important to remember that the child entering your home is likely experiencing one of the hardest days of their life. Instead of expecting excitement or gratitude, focus on matching their tone, validating their emotions, and offering choices to give them a sense of control. I’d love to hear from you: How do you support kids during those first moments and days? How do you create a space that feels safe and welcoming for them? 💛 #fostercare #fosterparenting #fosterfamily #fosterparent #fosterkids #fosterchild #welcome

Getting to bed and sleeping through the night can be difficult for kids in foster care due to their past trauma and/separation from their parents. In this video i show a lot of different things you can do to be supportive at night. 💛 #fosterparent #fosterparenting #bedtime #sleep #fostercare

Disruptions are typically higher during the holiday season. When I polled about 350 former foster youth, I was shocked at how high this number was. 😩Foster parents we need to do better. We need to plan ahead. Don’t assume that your travel plans will be approved and make sure you have a back up plan. Please remember to remain trauma informed. The holidays can bring about new and different trauma responses. We need to lean on each other to help each other out through the holiday season. Please check in with your foster parent friends, offer to babysit or provide respite for a few days or drop off food or gifts. 💛 to the foster parents who are able and willing to provide a nurturing, safe environment for youth during the holidays, please be sure you tell your worker or department that you are available for emergency placements, or sign up for an emergency shelter program. #f#fosterparentf#fostercaref#fosterparenting

In today’s video, I show some considerations for when you talk to an older foster youth’s parent for the first time. Of course there is so much for us to discover and cover with their parents, I tried to include some basic, initial conversation starters for your consideration. sometimes a worker will set up an icebreaker meeting for everyone to meet but other times it’s up to the foster parent to do the introductions themselves. And of course, sometimes there’s no introduction at all. Important note: Something that’s hard to fit within a minute video is the nuances of these various situations. Parents may or may not be in a place to take in this information and have these detailed conversations with you. It’s important to remember that this is a traumatic situation for them, as well. These conversations may happen overtime, over multiple conversations, and they may not be able to happen at all if the worker is currently not allowing direct communication or if direct communication is not possible (eg parent location is unknown). #fosterparent #fostercare #fosterparenting

In this video I show an example of ways foster parents can consider supporting a child who is experiencing a trauma response — during, after, and beyond. This one is a long one! Thanks for watching it all. At the end I show what things can look like as we work with the youth to overcome and move forward. Sometimes we as foster parents have a chance to do this and sometimes we don’t - it can take months or years or sometimes even a lifetime and often requires professional help. So please keep that in mind when watching. 💛 I know I’m wearing the same shirt but these things often don’t happen in a single day. Every child is different and every situation and trigger is different. I’d love to hear how you support these moments in your home. Let me know in the comments! #fosterparent #fosterparenting #fostercare #flightresponse #traumainformed #traumainformedcare #therapeuticparenting

There is so much that we can do as foster parents to support kids through the holiday season. It can be complex, joy filled at times but heavy at others. How do you support in your home? Please add to this video! I plan to make a part two - I know there is so much to cover 💛 #fosterparent #fostercare #fosterteen

Here are a ton of things that we have found to be consistently helpful and supportive to kids in our foster home. Trying something new today so starting with the bathroom. :) #fosterparent #fostercare #bathroom #fosterparenting

This holiday season, please consider purchasing a holiday gift for teen in foster care. The holidays can be a mix of complex feelings and situations. As a community, we have an opportunity to help youth in foster care feel seen and special during the holiday season. 💛 In partnership with @C@Common Thread Communitythese gifts will be going directly to the teens in foster care this holiday season. If you aren't able to give this year, please consider boosting this post so it can reach a wider audience. We can all do something. Thank you for showing up and prioritizing youth in foster care this holiday season. #f#fosterparentf#fosterparentingf#fosterchildf#fosteryouthf#fosterteenf#fosterfamily

Caseworkers often have huge workloads in foster care. 💔It is not uncommon that foster parents will need to follow up or be a squeaky wheel when it comes to advocating for the needs of the kids in their home. Here are some tips as you navigate this for new foster parents. #fosterparent #fosterparenting #fostercare #socialwork #caseworker

Its possible to work full time but from my experience, it isnt easy. It took flex time, remore work, support services, and strategic planning. How do you make it work? Let me know in the comments! #fosterparent #fosterparenting #fostercare #workingmom

What toy has been loved in your foster home by every age - prek, elementary, middle school or high school? let me know in the comments! ##fosterparent##fosterparenting##fostercare

Today I want to share about a potential helpful tool for foster parents of teens. There is an app called FosterPower (@FosterPower) that is directed to teens in foster care in Florida, but I do feel like it has a ton of really great general information for youth in foster care. Take a look and consider putting it on a device your teen uses. This can be a great way to open the door to conversation and can help them feel seen and validated as there are a ton of videos from former foster youth sharing about their experiences in foster care. Of course this is not legal or professional advice. It’s important to let the youth know that rights are different depending on where they live, but if they have a question or they see something that resonates with them, they can absolutely talk to you, their attorney/GAL/CASA, or their worker. #fosterparent #fostercare #fosterparenting #fosterteen #fosterteens

Reunification seasons for foster parents can really vary depending on the case, the situation, how long they’ve been in your care, and the circumstance is leading up to reunification. Can you relate to any of these foster parents depicted in this video? While I wish post reunification support groups existed for foster parents, I did make that up for the purpose of this video. 🤪 I will say, though, my experiences in regular foster parent support groups have been so impactful as I process and move through reunification seasons. ##fosterparent##fosterparenting##fostercare##reunification

SPOILER ALERT. What did you think of Moana 2? We really enjoyed it! In this video i share a few considerations if you plan to take your kids. #fosterparent #fostercare #moana #moana2

In the first few months with a new child in your foster home, its up to us to create spaces and moments for youth to share and express their needs and feelings. In this video i show a lot of ways to do this! #fosterparent #fosterparenting #fostercare