Becoming a foster parent is an incredible decision that can have a life-changing impact not only for the child you’re fostering, but also for your family. While rewarding, the challenges of foster parenting comes with its own set of unique challenges. Foster parents are the backbone of a supportive system that provides care, love, and stability to children in need. In addition to parenting your own children, you also will most likely be navigating unpredictable emotions from your foster child which can leave little room to prioritize your well-being. Here are some self-care tips for foster parents and other helpful resources.
The Importance of Self-Care for Foster Parents
While the focus is often on the well-being of the children, foster parents must also prioritize their own self-care. Self-care is something important to prioritize so that you can provide a stable and nurturing environment since you have taken care of yourself. Here are reasons self-care not only helps you, but also benefits your family and foster children.
Prevents Burnout
Foster parents often juggle numerous responsibilities, including attending court dates, coordinating therapy sessions, and managing behavioral challenges. Without doing self-care, stress can pile up leading to emotional exhaustion and burnout. Find activities that bring you joy like gardening, exercising, reading, meditating so you get some much needed time for yourself.
Physical and Mental Health
Neglecting self-care can lead to both physical and mental health issues. Sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, and chronic stress can weaken the immune system and contribute to anxiety or depression. By prioritizing health through balanced meals, adequate rest, and regular exercise, this will help you have energy and ability to parent not only your foster children, but your biological children as well.
Model Healthy Behavior
Children in foster care have usually experienced instability and trauma. By demonstrating self-care practices, foster parents teach them the importance of setting boundaries, managing stress, and prioritizing well-being. When caregivers take time for themselves, they send a powerful message that self-care is a valuable and necessary part of life and can hopefully build these habits in the child they’re fostering.
Strengthens Relationships
Caring for children who have experienced some truly terrible things requires a lot of patience and emotional availability. However, when foster parents neglect their own needs, frustration and fatigue can negatively impact their interactions. Prioritizing self-care allows caregivers to remain calm, compassionate, and emotionally present, which can help to strengthen your foster children’s trust.
Community, Training, & Financial Support For Foster Parents
Foster parents do not have to navigate this journey alone. Support groups, therapy, and respite care are invaluable resources that provide emotional relief and assistance.
Community Support
Connecting with other foster parents can also offer encouragement, shared experiences, and a sense of community. Family and friends may not understand what your family is going through, or why you want to foster or adopt. They may even discourage you from doing so or suggest the children should be sent back to the system if there are struggles after placement.
Foster and adoptive families can be a great resource to one another as they understand what new foster families are going through because they’ve been there and have good advice to give. They know what has worked for them and what has not worked for them. They can also help new foster and adoptive families understand cultural issues foster children can face, so they’re able to help you support the children in your home that have different cultures. Support can be found through local churches with foster care programs, online groups, and groups through local foster and adoption agencies. WeFoster and Fostering Together are great resources.
Training Programs
Training through online programs and local foster care agencies can give foster and adoptive parents the confidence, empathy, understanding, and skills they need to navigate the system, and help the children they take into their home. The basic training for foster parents is free and there is also specialized training foster parents can take to help them with specific topics they may face with the children they are caring for.
Financial Support
There may be local support for foster parents to help financially with last-minute needs for the children including clothes, personal items. It’s also important to find out how to get your foster child health insurance. All of these things will differ by locality.
Professional Support
Having support from professionals who have worked with the system can be priceless for foster and adoptive families. Having a parent coaching is a great way to get extra support in understanding trauma or understanding the foster system works. Sometimes biological children and/or foster children need therapy support so they can talk to someone outside the family about their own perspective and to help them navigate what they’re going through. The foster family could also benefit from family sessions to help with all the nuances fostering and adoption can bring. Having a therapist with experience working with the system and working with foster families as well as foster children can be invaluable⎯our children’s and women’s therapist Dawn Lamprecht has this shared experience. Dawn can help parents better understand their foster children, foster parent rights, and collaborate with other professionals involved to help everyone work together for the good of the family and the children.
Foster parents are unsung heroes, providing love, stability, and care to some of society’s most vulnerable children, however, you should always prioritize your well-being so that you can better help those around you. Remember, self-care isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity! By prioritizing yourself, you’re building the foundation needed to continue offering love, compassion, and care to the children who need it most. We’re here to help you, so don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment!