Adjusting to a new way of life can be daunting for foster children and the family, but Maryann Franco, Assistant Director of Community Based Services at St Joe’s, talks about the resources – and guidance – our Behavioral Health Services Outpatient and Foster Care Program provides for families.
We offer community and connection.
Accepting a child can be scary for both the family and the child. Foster parents can often be left feeling overwhelmed and isolated in their unique experiences. Offering foster parents an opportunity to connect and feel acceptance can be the difference between being successful and perceiving failure.
Our families can benefit from friendship and comradery from more experienced foster parents and staff. Parenting foster children can look different from traditional parenting. Rather than immediately offering solutions it can be important to create an accepting space where our foster families feel comfortable sharing and being heard.
We offer respite care.
Many of the children served in our foster care program are required to participate in supplemental services due to developmental or learning delays. These services include physical, occupational, speech, individual, and family therapy. Many of our children require these services weekly. This places strain on the foster parents because most of them work and do not have a flexible schedule. Respite can be transportation to and from school, or to an appointment when a foster parent is unavailable. It can also provide foster parents with an opportunity to have personal time or run errands.
We offer gifts and supplies.
It is common for children placed in foster care to have little that is their own, or that they want. It can be meaningful for a child to pick out their own items. Many foster families care for children of different ages and genders and may not have everything that their specific placements want and need. Gift cards support families and children by giving them options. Providing an activity or event that the family can enjoy helps the placement get to know the family in a low stress, fun environment.
P.S. Need a referral? Contact our Behavioral Health Services Outpatient Program: https://bit.ly/46GVH3k
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