Making the decision to adopt or foster a child in Michigan isn’t easy. Many caregivers go into it with the best of intentions, but find out that there’s a lot more to it than they previously thought.
What to keep in mind regarding children in foster care
At the base level, there’s no difference between adopted or biological kids – they both need empathetic support and unconditional love. With that being said, many children in the foster care system come with their own history and big feelings that go along with it.
It can be hard for these children to express exactly what they’re feeling. Some of the emotions that they could be feeling going into a new home include:
• Grief: Many foster children might still grief their previous family and relatives
• Anxiety: Being in a new home can make someone feel very worried, especially if they don’t know what to expect
• Anger: These big feelings – grief, anxiety, etc. – might present as anger, as the child might feel the need to put their guard up.
• Denial: Depending on the reasons for their placement in foster care, the children might be holding on to the hope that it’s only temporary or that their real parents will come back
Caregivers will have a much easier time if they try to keep these things at the forefront of their minds. It’s easy to get frustrated or angry at the way the child is behaving, but you shouldn’t show it.
Tips for caregivers
It’s important for caregivers to get as much information about the child as they can from the agency. This includes things in the child’s past, medical history, conditions, etc.
It’s important to be empathetic, always considering how various things might make the child feel. Adopting or fostering a child isn’t for the faint of heart, but hopefully, it can be made easier with these tips.