Things foster parents should do now to prepare for foster kids going back to school

While there is still about a month before school starts up again, here are some things to get started on now!

Get organized and get informed. That way when school starts you have a plan and can focus on the child and their needs during this transition time. 💛

⬇️As always, drop your additions to this and your experiences below. I value all of the nuances as each situation is complex and different. 💛

[LisaBRDeresz]

“I can be whoever you want me to be.”❤ love that

[muriel]

I love that you have the conversation with the child before the questions are asked so you’re prepared. You are such a wonderful person ❤

[Tegdirb]

My 10yo grandson calls his foster parents Auntie Dawn and Uncle Joe. I think over time he's let people know he's fostered, but it avoided early questions

[stephaniekilpatrick]

Not me ugly crying because you're asking the child who they want you to be when they're ultimate asked about their living sitch 😭❤💜

[molamolalaaa]

This is a great demo on empowering kids by giving them options.

[theclockworkpineapple]

Asking the child how they'd like to explain their living situation is so thoughtful.

[goblinguy]

Oh my god thank you for bringing up ieps/ipps/etc. Parents (of all kinds) often forget that those types of documents change all the time- and need to be revised/reviewed (roughly) every year.

[silverdoe]

Never involve kids in adult issues they can’t control, but do with things they can. Asking what title they’d like you to have is wonderful. 💜

[ShantyAngel-hdnu]

I've been in foster care since I was 6 years old, 27 homes later ( Now 16 ) I wish I had a parent Like you. So, thank you :)

[montwg]

I just have to say, I truly feel that you are an angel on earth and you restore so much much of my faith in humanity. I wish every kid could have a mom like you, the world would be such a better place.

[neverknowsjess]

I'm starting my job in social services next week, specifically going to be working with visitations. I'm so nervous but your videos have taught me to be so mindful about my mindset and about the ways that what I say/do can affect clients Your tips aren't just for foster parents, they are great advice for anyone who plans on working/caring/interacting with foster kids.

[knucklescapricorn]

I don't think I'll ever have kids or foster, but I love your videos for some reason. They are just so wholesome and a nice reminder to be a kind and open communicator and to empower people who may feel a bit powerless due to various circumstances as best as you can.

[meredithingram]

Is she like the most wonderful parent or not?!

[devchekhov]

Your videos are simultaneously uplifting and heartbreaking. I hope you stay with us a long, long time

[Redd]

"I can be whoever you want me to be"
You inspire me!

[bumblebeagan]

i wasn't ever in foster care, but i wish i had you as a mother growing up.
my mom was single and raising 3 kids, we were in and out of homeless shelters countless times. the last time was in high school. she tried her best, but she constantly overshared our personal lives with everyone. she shared my and my siblings' SA stories with people who had no business knowing what happened to us.
she never matured fully when it came to conflict and emotional things, so i still struggle with managing my emotions and communicating them at almost 20. she was irresponsible when it came to money, although us as kids wanting more than she had didn't help and stressed her out.
she constantly cashed in favors to people she barely knew and then skipped town once she had no resources left.
now that I'm older, i fully understand that she tried her best for us with what she had. but i can never forget how she made me feel. when we misbehaved, she would threaten that cps was going to take us away. i had nightmares of being locked in a dog kennel (not that that actually happened), and my mother would leave the house and abandon me there. she pinched me hard when i accidentally pinched her arm on a chair as i watched a show with her, saying that's what i get. when i came out to her and changed my name, she refused to put in the effort to switch. my deadname was still in her contacts 3 years after the fact. when i called her out on her emotional manipulation tactics, she would burst out with "then get tf out of my house and live on the streets if you don't like it so much" (a house that she didn't pay for, her fiance did) and storm off. she knew i had trauma from her cps threats and from being homeless; when things were ever stable, she overshared every time something small would go wrong, leaving me with bouts of long lasting anxiety that i would be homeless again. it never took long before i was. the longest we were ever stable was 4 years.
she's also a horrible cook lmao. the last time she made chicken, it ended up underseasoned and *slimy*. when i was younger and unable to cook my own food, she would barely bother to take out the ingredients that literally made me throw up from stuff she made. nothing big like allergens, but stuff like green beans. i still gag at even a hint of the taste. i would starve myself and pretend to fall asleep at the kitchen table to avoid eating, because it was better than throwing everything up anyways. even a decade later of me being unable to eat certain foods due to the taste, she would always just "forget" i didn't like it.

[SeaDish]

Every time I see your content I’m reminded that I’m capable and should be doing the steps it takes to get certified to do foster care. Thank you for teaching, holding space, reminding, and encouraging us all to be the citizens that those children deserve.

[jordynensor]

i love how much you advocate for asking the child what THEY need. i huge problem i had growing up as a kid with severe mental illness is that it felt like all the grown ups around me were listening to each other, but my thoughts and feelings and wants were never considered, which hindered my progress substantially, substantially as in i haven’t progressed at all and now im 20 and worse than i was when i was 12 lol

[jrs]

Laura, you are amazing. Another wonderful video. These children are our future! We must protect and care for them!

[SuperReader]

This is so valuable! By the way, reviewing the accommodations/modifications that the child qualifies for on an iep can prove very helpful in supporting him/her.