Managing Stressors for Kids Entering Foster Care

Our emergency shelter is called The Landing. We named our house this because we always envisioned our shelter as a soft place for kids to land when they find themselves in the difficult transition that is foster care. We like to think of this as a ferry landing or even like landing a plane; it is an opportunity for us to welcome kids into safety and offer a stable launching point for whatever is next. 

The stress:

When kids first arrive at The Landing they are often far from home, away from their families, and may not have any of their belongings. Kids are rightfully unsettled. Entering foster care in and of itself is considered an adverse childhood experience. Which is defined as a source of trauma for a child. To cope with trauma, the nervous system responds in many different ways. This is most often displayed through behavior. Children may struggle with regulating their emotions, they may have abnormal eating patterns or sleep schedules, have a hard time connecting with adults, they may not make eye contact and they may not be able to self regulate

How we help:

At the landing, these behaviors don't define the child. Instead these behaviors indicate what they need. A need for the securities of safe adults who care. Our volunteers and staff have the opportunity to enter in and help this transition into foster care become a little less scary for kids who are entangled in it.

These volunteers aren't superheroes and they aren't doing anything extravagant. They are ordinary people like you and me who are spending a little time each month investing in things like sharing a meal together, going for bike rides, taking a walk, drawing pictures, learning the frozen soundtrack, among all kinds of other things.

These things may seem small, but they matter. Research shows that being outside for 15 minutes a day, repetitive movement, eating well, empathy, and relationships are all effective ways to mitigate stress and help the body come back to a place of rest and safety

At The Landing, we are very intentional in the ways we care for kids who are experiencing increased amounts of stress. An example of this would be our menu. We post a menu on the wall so that kids are reassured of where their next meal is coming from. This is because some of the children coming into care come from households battling food insecurity.

In addition to meals, each child that stays with is receives an intake bag full of fresh clothes and anything else they would need during their stay with us.

Another thing we do is equip our volunteers with training on trauma informed care. This training allows our volunteers to consistently respond with compassion and patience as they interact with kids who are staying at the landing

From here, we start to see kids who were once guarded, become kids who can start to put trust in adults. When kids trust us, we can see who they really are and connect with social workers to help find not just the next placement, but the best placement. This three day period at The Landing ensures that kids are cared for in meaningful ways and that foster parents are set up for success

If you are interested in volunteering visit: http://www.skookumkids.org/volunteer