For children in foster care, there home life is often chaotic. Children enter foster care due to abuse, abandonment, and/or neglect. This can be malnourishment, starvation, homelessness, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and/or drug use. Children can be in Child Protective Custody for days or years, it depends on the family situation. A child can be placed with a relative, a foster parent, or in a group home until it is believed that they can be safely placed back with there parents.

A foster child will move an average of seven times while in CPS custody. This is often because the foster parents are ill-equipped to deal with the various needs that these children may have. As children grow older, foster parents are harder to find, leaving them to reside in group homes. Boys and minorities often find themselves more likely to end up in group homes as well. Group homes can be a difficult place for children to grow up in, as the homes do not offer the support or love that a family structure would.

For foster youth, there home life is often unstable. Once removed and placed in a new home, often foster children still find a lack of stability.

I linked a short film on the second to last slide that does a really great job in describing what a foster child goes through at home and once they are removed.

Overwhelming, children in foster care do not perform well in school.

Often times, these children are in survival mode. They have concerns that are much bigger than there peers. They may wonder if they will be able to eat that day, if they will be abused. Some have to take care of there younger siblings. Even when removed, they wonder if there parents are okay, if they will be separated from there siblings, who will take care of there pets at home. Understandably, it may be hard for them to focus at school. However, with the bleak statistics in education and transition to adulthood, it is important to help support these children to find success in there education and future careers. School may be there safest and most stable place. As those who work in the field of education, I believe it is important to show this population that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Children in foster care often lack support from there immediately families. They often were witness to unhealthy environments and may lack in self coping techniques. They can be trigger very easily and hard to deescalate. The lack of stability or loving family structure may put them at risk for depression and suicide.

This is due to the over whelming amount of children in foster care.

Historically, schools have done an amazing job in filling roles needed in society. Schools are also uniquely suited as a safe and stable place for its student in foster care. School psychologist, counselors and mental health therapist should meet with foster youth to discuss feelings and introduce healthy coping skills. Students in foster care with poor school performance and behavioral problems should be identified and linked with a mentor (teacher, school administrator, counselor) with a vested interest in the child's educational and future success.

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/lOeQUwdAjE0