This family meeting will focus on three different main areas: 1. You may also want to have a few new toys for him to play with. It’s obvious how big your heart is to care for these children, who you have for only a short amount of time in your home. All of this will work towards building a bond. It can be quite difficult for a child to be uprooted from the only home they have ever known. When walking him to your home, see if he’s open to you holding his hand if he’s younger, or placing your hand on his shoulder if he’s older, to start forming a bond and provide some much needed reassurance. Some of these points may seem too commonplace to make that much of a difference, but to your foster child, who’s coming from a situation that was anything but normal, they will. You need to step back, view it from his perspective and try to be flexible and understanding. It impacts them emotionally as well as physically. Whether you are adopting a foster child currently in your home or receiving an adoptive placement for a child who is living in another foster home, making the transition from foster care child to adopted child can be tough on kids. Use this meeting as a way to get to know the child and help the child feel like he has a bit of ownership in some the rules and consequences used in the home. Your foster child may immediately embrace you, it may take time for him to warm up or he may never show how he feels at all. Here at Capstone Foster Care, we offer full support for the parent and child reunification process – right from the beginning of your foster care placement. Be Approachable . If you have enough notice, you can ask his caseworker what your foster child likes so you can have it waiting for him, such as a poster of his favorite football team or a book he enjoys. It is very important for foster carers to be friendly and approachable upon meeting their foster child. Foster a relationship between the child and caregiver while you are present. First the visits go from a couple of hours, to visits in the home. Learning more about their history helps you create a safe haven for them and provides insight into what they have experienced. Think of ways with your children that you can incorporate your foster child into the family. Helping Your Child Transition From Foster Care to Adoption . Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child This page was taken directly from Child Welfare Information Gateway If you’re a foster parent adopting a child, children, or youth currently in your care, you’ll need to help your child make the emotional adjustment to being an adopted child. The Basket: Preparing a welcome basket can be a nice surprise for your foster child on what’s likely an upsetting and scary day. The rule of thumb is that for every year your child was not in your home, you should cocoon for one month. The resource provides a step-by-step guide for ways to make the transition go more smoothly. After meeting your foster child, ask them a few questions to get to know what they like or consult with your foster care agency. Our first foster daughter -- I'll call her Alice -- came to us via a bit of deceit. Add your foster child’s photo to your wall. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Before foster care, most of these children lived with families that suffered from: The experience of living in out-of-home placement usually brings with it feelings of confusion, worry, fear, sadness, and loss of control. Make a Christmas ornament for each of your foster children. If we do end up having a foster child stay in our house, we will make sure that they know that they are welcome and loved. Easing the Transition to a New Foster Home . Yet despite our best efforts, here in the real world some children do have to move. 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