Foster Parents & Caregivers

Articles, Factsheets, and Handbooks on Trauma-Informed Foster Care Parenting

“Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child’s Needs”
By: American Academy of Pediatrics and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption staff
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Date: 2016

The American Academy of Pediatrics developed the “Parenting After Trauma: Understanding Your Child’s Needs” booklet to help foster and adoptive parents understand how trauma may be impacting their child’s functioning and provides child-rearing guidelines for promoting recovery and resilience. The handout converts scientific traumatic research into an easy to comprehend guide of numerous complex issues. Sections pertain to some of the most pressing components of childhood trauma including: trauma’s scope and influence, remembering traumatic memories, rebuilding safety and developing trust in the family, and helpful parenting tips to aid this process (American Academy of Pediatrics and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption staff, 2016).

“Trauma Informed Practicing Strategies (T.I.P.S.) for Foster Parents”
By: Portland State University’s Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services staff
Source: Portland State University
Date: 2008

Portland State University’s Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services created “Trauma Informed Practicing Strategies (T.I.P.S.) for Foster Parents” to offer foster parents clear and concise suggestions for meeting the needs of traumatized children. The pamphlet is divided into importance principles in trauma-informed care and then describes a list of action steps that support each one. For instance, principle two is “Empathize, connect, try to understand the child’s perspective, but don’t probe,” and some of the real-life examples that strengthen this point are “ Be open to listening if they want to talk, but don’t probe or grill them” and “Acknowledge their feelings and the difficulty of what they are going through,” (Portland State University’s Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services staff, 2008).

“Helping Traumatized Children—A Brief Overview for Caregivers”
By: Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D.
Source: ChildTrauma Academy
Date: 2014

The “Helping Traumatized Children—A Brief Overview for Caregivers” booklet provides caregivers and other caring adults information about the complex nature of childhood trauma and guidance in how to address these issues. The composition discusses some of the common struggles associated with trauma and helpful tips for promoting the best interests of traumatized children and their families. The author is Dr. Bruce Perry, a child psychiatrist who is a leading expert in childhood trauma research and the founder of the ChildTrauma Academy.

“Helping Children Cope with Trauma: Parenting Kids and Teens After a Traumatic Event”
By: HelpGuide Staff
Source: HelpGuide
Date: March 13th, 2019

The overwhelming and distressful qualities of trauma can reap havoc on the lives of children and leave parents feeling hopeless in their aspiration to help. HelpGuide’s “Helping Children Cope with Trauma: Parenting Kids and Teens After a Traumatic Event” displays a wide-range of beneficial suggestions for parents to utilize in aiding the recovery process. Each “tip” portrays a general element linked to establishing security and stability for children and depicts specific examples of enacting it through informed action steps.

“Left Untreated, Stress Can Affect Kids’ Health for a Lifetime. Here’s How to Help Them Cope”
By: Smita Malhotra
Source: Washington Post
Date: June 5th, 2018

The Washington Post article “Left Untreated, Stress Can Affect Kids’ Health for a Lifetime. Here’s How to Help Them Cope,” illustrates the urgency in developing an understanding of childhood adversity and adopting an enhanced awareness for fostering resilience. Stress breeds overwhelming chaos, leaving children to feel a sense of constant vulnerability and insecurity in experience. Interaction based on nurturance and consistency can help a child reclaim trust in their relationships and stability within their environment.

“Childhood Trauma Brings Its Own Health Problems for Foster Families”
By: Jenny Rough
Source: Washington Post
Date: September 1st, 2018

The “Childhood Trauma Brings Its Own Health Problems for Foster Families” Washington Post article discusses some of the unique circumstances associated with childhood adversity and health faced by foster families. This composition highlights some of the major struggles for foster children, such as establishing trust in relationships and learning its acceptable to be vulnerable. Most foster children come from very traumatic backgrounds which cause a cascade of physical and mental health problems and maladaptive behaviors. This reality presents some rather difficult challenges for foster parents; however, there is hope in compassion and empathy, to gradually resolve these manifestations of complex trauma.

“Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event” (PDF Factsheet)
By: National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) Schools Committee
Source: National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)                             Date: 2019

Reactions to trauma and changes in functioning can be significantly varied based on a child’s age and stage of development. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network’s (NCTSN) “Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event” offers a concise depiction of the common responses typically associated with trauma linked to a child’s age bracket. This resource could assist caregivers in discovering the nature of trauma found in their child. Since trauma can be incredibly complex, spotting distinctive markers could shine a light as to “why” a child is experiencing certain emotions and acting out with specific behaviors.