A foster home provides a safe and stable place for a child to be while decisions are made about his long term placement. As part of that placement, you can strive to provide a healing environment for children.
Foster parents should secure a thorough physical exam within the first 30 days of a placement of a child. Ask lots of questions to find out what a child needs and what health issues may be of concern. Keep in mind that vision and hearing problems are hard to spot unless you're a professional, so eye and ear checkups should be part of every doctor visit.
Talk with caregivers from past placements and with birth families, if possible. Spend some time observing a child. What do you notice in areas of playing with other children? In language and talking? When under stress or strong emotions? Does he have a regular sleep cycle? Your child will be your best teacher, but children are more likely to speak through behaviors, not words.
Lesson Three of this course focuses on these areas of caring for the neglected child:
- Setting up your home to take care of children
- Being able to recognize delays
- Building on assets and strengths
- Knowing your resources
