Promoting Resiliency In Foster Care Youth

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative recently released a news brief on “Promoting Development of Resilience among Young People in Foster Care.

The Core Principles they recommend, in order to support the process of developing resilience for young people in foster care include:

• Optimism:  There is no “point of no return,” from which a young person cannot return. As long as young person is living and breathing there is hope.  

• Strengths-based approach:  Look for the young person’s areas of competency and strengths. It’s not enough simply to remove one or more risk factors in their life – the next step is focusing on Developmental Assets.

• Community partnerships: Effective intervention will include awareness of resources in the local community.

In addition, when it comes to building resilience, the brief recommends both strengths-based and process-focused strategies:

• Strengths-based strategies refers to improving the number and quality of internal and external assets (i.e. tutoring, mentoring, community-based youth activities, parenting education for young parents, recreational activities and adult role models)

• Process-focused strategies focus on  helping young people develop the skills to adapt to various situations (i.e. coping strategies, interpersonal relationships, cultural traditions and building self-efficacy – belief in their own ability to succeed)

Infants, Toddlers and Trauma

Supporting Infants, Toddlers and Families Impacted by Caregiver Mental Health Problems, Substance Abuse, and Trauma – A Community Action Guide This new guide published by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) provides information to better understand and engage the community in responding to children whose caregivers are negatively impacted by mental illness, substance abuse, or trauma. (October 2012)

Impact of Trauma on Ability to Parent

The Birth Parent Subcommittee of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has created a series of fact sheets to highlight the importance of understanding the serious consequences that trauma histories can have on birth parents, and the subsequent impact on their parenting.

How can trauma impact parenting?

•                Parents’ ability to make appraise danger and make appropriate judgments about their own/their child’s safety can be compromised --  risk of being over/under-protective

•                Parent might have difficulty forming and maintaining secure trusting relationships -- leading to disconnection and/or disruption in their children's lives 

•                Parent might personalize the child’s negative behavior -- resulting in ineffective or inappropriate discipline. 

•                Lack of ability to regulate emotion

•                Maladaptive coping strategies -- such as substance abuse or abusive intimate relationships that parents maintain because of a real or perceived lack of alternatives. 

Direct link to this resource: http://nctsn.org/sites/default/files/assets/pdfs/birth_parents_trauma_history_fact_sheet_final.pdf