It may surprise you to find out teens in foster care want and need lifelong connections – yet, when it comes to adopting, many families rarely consider older kids and teenagers.

As National Adoption Month continues, our Fostering Conversations podcast examines the obstacles faced by youth who age out of foster care.

Listen to the inspiring stories of youth who beat the odds – and learn the reality about teens in the foster care system.

To learn more about Utah’s Transition to Adult Living program, click here.  To join Utah’s Foster Club click here.

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Trauma Responses: Beyond Fight or Flight

Childhood trauma can trigger a chronic “fight or flight” response, even when children are placed in safe, loving foster homes. How do caregivers deal with that response to build relationships?

At Utah Foster Care’s Annual Symposium, Dr. George Thompson provided insight into how a trauma-informed system of care can play a critical role in establishing a sense of safety. A full re-cap of our Symposium can be found on our blog here.

Dr. Thompson is a child psychiatrist devoted to assisting families and healthcare organizations to build emotionally safe, curious, collaborative, and coherent cultures that transform trauma into wisdom. He, along with co-author Marilyn Sanders, is the author of the recent book, Polyvagal Theory and the Developing Child: Systems of Care for Strengthening Kids, Families, and Communities.

Thompson serves on the advisory board of the Polyvagal Institute and is treasurer of the board of directors of the Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy Institute. He and his team are creating a model youth psychiatric residential program, the Thompson Centers for Heroic Change.

For a copy of Dr. Thompson’s Book: Polyvagal Theory and the Developing Child fill out this form.

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2022 Fostering Community Award recipient: Rachel Garrett

Check out Common Thread and all the great work they are doing for teens affected by foster care.  Visit Common Thread on the web or follow them on Instagram at @Commonthread_ut

Children living with relatives increased 51% between 2000 and 2010.  In 2010, 1700 children were placed with relatives after being removed from their parents. The most recent census tells us that number is not going down.  Being placed with Kin/relatives vs. foster care has a number of benefits:

Children’s Service Society of Utah (CSS) is an organization that empowers families and caregivers through services that support the safety and well-being of children. Grandfamilies is a support, advocacy, educational and crisis intervention program of the Children’s Service Society. The program was created in 2002 to meet the growing needs of individuals and/or families that are caring for a relative’s child. Our focus is to provide information and support to these families so that the needs of safety and permanency for the children in these families can be met.

Their services include:

To learn more about the Grandfamilies program, click here

Utah Foster Care also has resources for Kinship Families.

2022 Kinship Town Hall

Topic: The impact of trauma in kinship families

Date: Tuesday Sept 20th

Time: 5:00-7:00PM

Location: Children’s Service Society of Utah, 655 E 4500 S, ste 200, SLC, 84107

Foster parents learn in training classes about the uncertainty surrounding children in foster care. A child may be in their home for a few days, a year, or a lifetime. Grief and loss are a reality when a child is reunified. In this episode, we’ll explore how foster parents can get support to deal with the emotional stress of children leaving their home.

While loss affects people in different ways, many people experience the following symptoms when they are grieving. Just remember almost anything you experience in grief is normal.

Common symptoms of grief:

How to Support Others Who are Grieving

Other Resources:

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Vroom! Brain Building at Your Fingertips.

Did you know that 80% of a child’s brain is developed between birth and 4 years old? In partnership with the Bezos Family Foundation, Envision Utah’s early learning is working to empower all Utah parents when it comes to helping their child develop and be successful.

As a caregiver, you can help your young children build neural connections through Vroom, a free app that turns everyday moments into brain-building activities. As Travis Allred from Envision Utah tells us, Vroom gives you bite-sized, science-based tips that help you give children a great start in life.

3 Ways to get Vroom:

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

When it comes to LGBTQ youth in care, the data is heartbreaking.  Not only are LGBTQ youth over-represented in the foster care system, “12.9% of LGBTQ youth report being treated poorly by the foster care system compared to 5.8% of non-LGBTQ youth.” These youth face a higher number of placements, are more likely to live in group homes, and often end up homeless.  LGBTQ youth in care also experience added trauma and are hospitalized for mental health concerns more than their non-lgbtq peers. The need for safe and affirming homes for these kids is crucial. Many in the LGBTQ community aren’t aware that they can be foster parents.

In honor of Pride Month, our podcast features two of our Utah LGBTQ foster parents and the director of Youth and Families from the Human Rights Campaign All Children All Families program.

Resources:

Local resources for foster families caring for LGBTQ youth- Utah Foster Care LGBTQ Resources

Promoting the health and well-being of LGBTQ youth at The Family Acceptance Project   and   LGBTQ Family Acceptance

What is SOGIE? (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) Video

William’s Institute study on Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in Foster Care

Transgender information and Statistics: Understanding the Transgender Community

Are you an organization that works with children? Find out how to be part of the Human Rights Campaign’s  All Children-All Families Program

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Did you know that you don’t have to be married to foster or adopt children in Utah? It’s true, some of our best foster families are lead by single parents. Local single foster parents, Kristen and Michael share their experiences fostering —what it’s like, why they do it, and how to get started.

According to a report from The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, just under 15,000 single women and nearly 2,000 single men adopted children or youth from foster care in 2017.

Check out Single Foster Parent Tips for more ideas on making it work as a single foster parent.

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Transracial adoption, foster care, and interracial marriages create unique experiences for children and parents in Utah. Often, families need help navigating multiple cultures.  Stephanie Draper found herself in that situation as a teenager – luckily, she had a supportive parent.

Together with Bri Ray, Stephanie founded the organization Raising Me, formerly known as Project Black Girl. Their mission is to provide hybrid education and community experiences for multicultural families that create opportunities for racial identity development and cultural understanding.

In honor of National Adoption Day, Raising Me is hosting an event November 19th. Check out the Raising Me website for more details.  You can also follow Raising Me on Instagram @when_raisingme.

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Join us for a candid conversation with DCFS caseworkers and foster parents to understand how DCFS works in order to strengthen partnerships in support of children and families in care. Every contact with your caseworker is an opportunity to strengthen your family.

Learn more about the Division of Child and Family Services here.

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent? 

Substance Use disorder by adults is one of the leading reasons why children are removed from their homes and put into state custody. In Utah, substance use is a contributing factor in more than 60% of the cases where children are removed from their homes – much higher than the national average. The good news is that research indicates recovery from substance use disorder is achievable and common. So, it’s important to understand the journey that the parents of children in foster care are going through. On this episode, you will meet a man who shares his recovery experience with an innovative program at a Midvale bakery that supports people like him.

About Flourish Bakery

Flourish Bakery was established in 2017 with a mission to build better people through the opportunity to begin again.

Flourish’s internship is offered to those recovering from addiction with a history of incarceration. It’s 12 months long and is designed to foster hope, healing, and accountability while simultaneously teaching the art and skills of professional baking.

Interns are paid $14/hour and complete approximately 32 to 40 hours per week working and learning in the Bakery. Interns also participate in externships at companies like Harmons, where one of our former interns is now an artisan baker.

Interns also participate in programs to promote wellness and long-term recovery, including morning group reflection, weekly writing groups, a daily communal meal, financial counseling services, mental health counseling, and a membership to a gym founded on recovery principles.

Flourish is the only “Second Chance” long-term recovery, workforce development reentry program in Utah.

How to Connect with Flourish

Visit our website, flourishslc.org

The bakery is located at 752 W. Center St in Midvale and is open Wednesday-Saturday, 8am-4pm. You can also shop online at Flourishslc.org and pick up your orders.

We love having volunteers join us in the kitchen. Please visit Flourishslc.org/apply to complete a volunteer application

Want to learn more about becoming a Foster Parent?