Transitioning foster children back to their family home is a difficult process for everyone involved. Regardless of their ages, the children will act out if they have been in the foster home for more than a few weeks. The way they act out will depend on their maturity level. Younger children may start throwing temper tantrums and have difficulty sleeping at night that may include nightmares. If the child was recently potty trained, it could be undone by the transitioning process. All children tend to treat their foster parents with increasing disrespect, as their return... more

First and foremost foster parents are just caring for children in a tragic situation when they are placed in the foster home. We do not go searching for children to parent. Where would the foster children be without the foster parents and homes? They would be living in shelters and orphanages and I have heard horror stories from foster children that have spent time in shelters. There are some foster children that are in care that are sexual predators, some are very violent and care about no one but themselves. A number of foster children are in and out of juvenile... more

For some this can seem like a silly question, but the truth is that people have different views on this. For the foster parents it is a natural thing to bond and build a relationship with their foster children. It is natural to feel a deeper bond with some foster children than others.

A few caseworkers are concerned or do not want bonds to develop between the foster parents and children. I personally have dealt with one such caseworker. She viewed foster parenting as baby sitting which it is far from that. I do not believe foster children should be forced or pushed into bonding, or having a relationship with their foster parents.

It is natural for foster children to want... more

Below you will get a few ideas on bonding activities with your foster children. The activities do not need to be time consuming. They should be non-threatening for the children.

You are working towards your foster child feeling comfortable talking to you and giving her a positive experience of a family togetherness. You may not see a sudden change with her. The changes tend to be gradual.

Do not choose things that your foster child does not enjoy doing. This can be more negative than positive. You want this to be a positive experience allowing you to connect with her.

Reading books together can bring closeness and allow some bonding. Even elementary children... more

When children are not cared for and their needs are not met, it causes them not to trust people. You have to trust people to bond with them. Every child can have different degrees of bonding or attachment issues. When a child has major attachment issues she can be labeled Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Some children struggle with this their entire life. This disorder affects the entire family.

We had fostered a toddler that spent her life in a crib to the point of having a flat head. When she was fed, the bottles were propped up in the crib. Having her diaper... more

Children that come into foster care have lacked having an adult interact with them. When foster children are placed into a foster family where there will be a lot of interaction with adults, it can be very scary for them.

These children do not know what it is like to sit down and have a family dinner alone every night. Getting up and going to school for them may have been a choice, and now they have a foster parent take them to school daily. Family outings, game night, church, and all the other family things can be a lot of foster children to adjust to. It can be very overwhelming for children to be thrown into a family life that they have never experienced before. Bonding... more

When children come into foster care, many times siblings will be separated for any number of reasons. This can be a very hard thing for children to deal with, since they are already losing the connection to everything that they know. It is very important for the siblings to feel connected and remain in contact with each other. Foster parents are the key to helping their child maintain this bond.

Below are ways to help your foster child with his or her sibling relationships.

Providing a sibling visit at least once a month is the foundation of continuing their relationship. Do not have it at the same place each time. A local park, museums (some can even be free of charge),... more