This seems to be a common problem that foster parents deal with. It can affect any age child. All most every foster child I have had wet the bed at some point. It is not uncommon to even see older foster children facing this problem. I even had a 13 year old that wet the bed when he first came to us. With some of the children it can be an ongoing problem that they struggle with. There are others that it is short term. With these children after they get settled in your home and realize that they are safe, the bedwetting will just fade away. Remember it can easily return for a number of different reasons it could be that they start to remember more of the abuse they have suffered, could happen after a bad visit with bio parents, when they are faced with a loss, problems at school, a therapy visit that brings up new feelings or when major events happen. For the most part these children cannot control how their bodies betray them.

These children most likely will try to hide it or act like it did not happen. They may not even make you aware of it, or change the bedding. A wet bed and urine smell could be how things were at their home. So, you may have to explain that is not okay and what needs to happen when they wet the bed. You may be to go into details since this falls under self help skills which most foster children have very few if many. The important thing is to find a way that it is not so embarrassing for the child.

Continued......


“Nothing worthwhile comes easily. Work, continuous work and hard work, is the only way to accomplish results that last.”
Hamilton Holt