Greetings!
Foster Parent Support Services Society announces the release of a new resource guide
Opening Door to Education for Children and Youth in Care
Opening Doors to Education for Children and Youth in Care will help caregivers recognize, understand, and address the unique challenges faced by children and youth in and from care as they move through the education system.
In the past three months, the world around us has changed dramatically. As caregivers prepare the children and youth in their homes to adapt to new ways of socializing, entertaining themselves, and learning, this guide may be even more helpful than intended. Although not specifically designed to be used for home school students, much of the material will be useful for students whose homes have become their classroom (e.g. Creating a Learning Environment).
One of the best thing caregivers can do to help the children and youth they care for is to create a new normal. Due to their backgrounds, children in care often respond well to structure and routine and the sense of security they provide. Today, these structures and routines have changed. Establishing schedules with times for learning, and times for fun can offer something consistent they can depend on, something with unchanging expectations.
We hope this guide helps you in some way as you help the children and youth you care for.
To view the guide please visit:
Some Excerpts…
There’s no denying it, fostering is a tough gig. Worthwhile, but tough. Courage, patience, and a sense of humour are essential survival skills. There’s also no denying there’s one thing that is even tougher...being a child or youth in care.
One caring relationship makes all the difference
Let youth overhear you praising them to others.
Knowing who does what is far more helpful than knowing who is supposed to do what.
Helping with homework is about more than sitting beside a youth and reminding him to carry the one.
Don’t let them close doors they don’t even know exist.
“I have trouble focussing because my brain needs time to heal” is a different message than “I can’t focus because I am stupid and worthless.”
Family is powerful, whatever kind of family it is and for however long it lasts.
Here’s a statistic you won’t often hear…
About one in seven students in B.C. with a CCO graduated with honours in 2014/15. As this report states, students in continuing care are not naturally “underperformers".
P4, Room for Improvement Toward Better Education Outcomes for Children in Care
BC Representative for Children and Youth.
