Addressing Common Fears – #5

Posted on: January 26th, 2012

“I don’t feel qualified to take on someone else’s child, especially any child with any extra needs.”

While it is essential to be always gaining skills in parenting, there is no perfect parent. The fact that you are considering this as a possibility for your life is a sign that you are on the right path of a generous, caring parent. All parents are in a learning process and all parents have something different to offer. We work very hard to match children with parents to secure a good fit, as well as give you initial training about that specific child. Continual training is also at your disposal and some additional training is required each year. Your social worker visits you and your foster child once a week and is always available to you by phone. The social workers help you with any issues that come up, help answer questions, and work to make your placement a success.

As far as being eligible to be a foster parent, you need only be at least 21 years old, have an available bedroom in your home, and have a criminal background check free of abuse.

Power of Story – #3

Posted on: January 23rd, 2012

Imagine you are 16 years old. You were disgustingly abused by several adult friends of your parents. Your parents knew what was happening to you, but did not stop it. You were also physically abused by your father. Because of this, you have some extreme depressive thoughts about life, towards your parents and towards yourself. Amazingly, you aren’t aggressive though. You do however, struggle a great deal in school, due to all the change in your life circumstances and all you think about. You feel like you can still make it through life, like there is still something to live for, but sometimes you just don’t feel you can keep doing it alone. You need someone to help you deal with your emotions on a daily basis and remind you that these circumstances were not your fault. You need someone to take your shame away…to tell you that you have worth. You are still a little hopeful that this could be true.

This story describes a child currently in the Connecticut Foster Care System, though identifying characteristics were changed.

Addressing Common Foster Parent Fears – #4

Posted on: January 19th, 2012

Fear #4 – “I don’t know if I have the time or energy for a foster child.”
This is definitely a good thing to consider. Depending on the needs of the child, there are varying degrees of how much time and energy will be required of you. However, you can always step into this process WHILE you are still figuring out how it will all work out. Should you find that respite care (short term/emergency foster care) is a better option for you, then that too is an amazing gift to foster children and other foster parents. Should you find that this isn’t the right time for you, then that is also totally okay.

Big Y Kids Fair

Posted on: January 19th, 2012

CRI is going to be at the Big Y Kids Fair in Hartford on February 4 & 5!  Stop by the Therapeutic Foster Care booth to find out more about helping a school age child in Connecticut!  Join us at the beautiful Connecticut Convention Center from 10am to 5pm both days.

Click Here for Kids Fair Info

…and keep an eye out on this page for more info on where you can find CRI this spring and summer!  You’ll see our happy faces at many fairs and festivals, talking to people about how they can help CT’s children!

The Power of Story – 2

Posted on: January 18th, 2012

Imagine you are 9 years old. You were removed from your home because you saw adults in your home be extremely, horrifically violent toward each other time after time. You struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, PTSD and have trouble expressing any of the crazy feelings inside of you. You deal with the most anxiety around bedtime (probably because that is when you saw and experienced most of the violence). You often act out at that time of day in fear. However, the foster family you are currently in has helped to keep your surrounding predictable and you are beginning to trust them as they try to help you talk through things. When you feel comfortable around them, you find that you can even be polite and helpful and happy, as you rarely feel you can be. You don’t know where your future is headed, but you are grateful for this safe place that is helping you find some consistency and comfort. Your life has been unpredictable so far and it may still be.

This story describes a child currently in the Connecticut Foster Care System.

All identifying parts of the story were changed to save the child’s privacy.