Ways to Nurture Families in the New Year

Happy New Year! Now, as you look forward into 2022, is a wonderful time to consider how you will support the foster and adoptive families in your life. Could you try one new thing this year to reach out and love the family you support? You could:

• Pray – Reach out and ask how you can specifically pray for your foster or adoptive family. Consider setting a reminder in your phone to text or check in about prayer request updates and to see how they are doing. 
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• Feed – No matter what stage of placement or adoption the family is in, the scheduling demands of caring for children who have experienced trauma leave little time to plan a meal. Offering to drop a meal in their refrigerator or freezer can be just the relief needed at the end of a long day. Gift cards for the family to order in are great too! Another option is providing care packages for children and adults. Deliver a sack of kid friendly snacks such as juice boxes, protein snacks, apples, granola bars, or fruit snacks, and don’t forget the adults with favorites like dark chocolate, donuts, or coffee.

• Listen – Schedule a monthly listening time such as a coffee break, park date, fishing, car repair or shooting hoops. Both children and parents need time to reflect on the ever-changing emotions of navigating this different lifestyle. You can expect that foster and adoptive families will feel a vast range of emotions which sometimes may bubble up all at once. When these bubble-up moments come, be available to  offer a listening ear, knowing they need to feel heard more than they need advice in that moment.

 

• Understand- Consider reading a book or taking a class on the effects of trauma.  Understanding the impact on the body, brain, behavior, beliefs and biology of children who have experienced trauma is an important part of understanding the foster and adoptive families you support. Reading The Connected Child by Dr. Karyn Pervis and Dr. David Cross is a great place to start. Dig deeper with Dan Siegel’s new The Power of Showing Up: How Parental Presence Shapes Who Our Kids Become and How Their Brains Get Wired.

 
As we head into 2022, think about one thing you can implement to nurture these important family relationships throughout this year! 

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