Written by: Katarina 
Edited by: Olivia

 

Children who have been placed in the foster care system were removed from their home into a sort of unknown territory for them. Each child is deserving of special consideration for what they have been through in place as well as guidance through their grief, whether it be in their familial relationships or for the transition from one caregiver to another. There are plenty of varying situations that would explain why a child needs that extra care and comfort as their feelings may be easily overlooked or even misinterpreted. At such a young age, it’s not something that should be expected of them as they could have trouble interpreting or expressing their own feelings.

 

Here are some important steps to consider when fostering a smooth transition for the child(ren):

  1. Provide comfort in your home.

Create an inviting home for the child to make them feel more comfortable in this shared space. There are many ways to do this depending on the child’s age and special needs if they require. If the child is young or a toddler, you would want to make the home as child proof as you can so that there’s nothing easily breakable that could intimidate. With that, you can also add some personal items for them such as toys or by creating a more personalized room!

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  1. Speak with the previous caregiver to find more information that may help.

In trying to add comfort in your home for the child, creating a relationship with their previous caregiver will allow you to learn more about the child and what their needs and likes are. Establishing this relationship will also help the child see that the effort is being put in and would allow them to build trust with you. This also allows for more conversation to be put in place between you and the child so that you can give them reassurance through the transition.

  1. Create a routine.

In relation to establishing a connection with the child’s previous caregiver, you can then identify a routine for you and the child. Learn about their previous routine that they’re used to daily by asking about their bedtime or naptime that they are accustomed to. It’s important to be aware of other special routines that hold deep meaning to the child that may overlooked if you hadn’t known otherwise. Another aspect of their routine may be their go-to products such as hair care or if they have special needs, you should investigate what objects they could have an attachment to.

  1. Create a photobook.

While the longevity of your time with the child is unknown, creating and saving memories for the child is so important for their future growth. Keeping mementos and photos together for the child to always have can establish a sense of identity to help them develop eventually into adulthood. They will have beautiful memories to look back on from the difficult circumstances they may have gone through. Saving photos of them with significant friends or family with names and dates help too so they can see what their support system is.

By applying these strategies and doing more research on how you can foster a healthy transition for the child has limitless impacts long-term on their life. All children deserve to be in a welcoming environment and there are so many ways to create that for them in any way that you can. Just them knowing that you put in that effort to care for them and make them feel safe will create the support that they need to live the life that they deserve.