In this episode of the Foster Friendly Podcast, host Travis Vangsnes and co-host Courtney Williams welcome Jeanette Yoffee, a clinical psychologist and advocate for foster care and adoption. Jeanette shares her personal journey through foster care and adoption, emphasizing the importance of understanding grief and loss in children. She discusses the significance of open adoption, the need for connection, and the various interventions she has developed to help children cope with their experiences.

Jeanette also introduces her book, 'The Traumatized and At-Risk Youth Toolbox,' which provides practical tools for parents and caregivers. The conversation highlights the importance of mattering and connection for children in foster care, encouraging foster parents to create a safe and supportive environment for their children.

Checkout her website and all her tools and resources:
https://www.jeanetteyoffe.com/

Takeaways

• Jeanette Yoffe shares her personal journey through foster care and adoption.
• Understanding grief and loss is crucial for children in foster care.
• Open adoption allows children to maintain connections with their birth families.
• Children need to know they matter and are valued.
• Interventions like the 'sad bag' help children cope with grief.
• Foster parents should lean into the discomfort of children's feelings.
• Jeanette's book provides practical tools for parents and caregivers.
• Children often recycle questions about their past as they develop.
• It's important to separate a child's behavior from their identity.
• Creating a safe environment helps children thrive.