Building Connection in Foster Families
Overview
Working with child welfare-involved youth and their families can be both challenging and rewarding. Use this collection of resources to teach families how to encourage one another and communicate with compassion. These tools can help families build connections that are resilient and long lasting.
Courses
Foundations for Building Family Resilience
FOCUS (Families Over Coming Under Stress) is used to teach strategies for building resilience in families, within the context of each family's story and goals. Use the FOCUS techniques to help the families you work with to stay strong and support one another during times of stress or transition.
Shifting Perspectives: Adopting a Trauma & Resilience Informed Lens
Employing a trauma and resilience informed lens in your work requires practice. Take this course and learn alongside fictional county employees as they adopt and practice the core principles of trauma and resilience informed care to improve their interactions with the people around them in the “real world.” Consider how applying the skills taught in this video can enhance your current work practices.
Learning Pathways
Somatic Series: Widening Our Window of Tolerance
This pathway provides an overview of the Window of Tolerance and accessible, body-based mindfulness practices to support yourself or those in your communities. Learn how the Window of Tolerance concept applies to wellbeing and practical body-based strategies to support wellbeing, nervous system regulation, and a wider Window of Tolerance. This pathway includes explanations, examples, and opportunities for practice. Get ready for a different type of experience: after the first step of the pathway, the milestones will guide you through real-life practices. How to get ready to complete ...
Articles
A Family Reading List
As a child psychologist and parent coach, I love activities that are fun, engaging, and provide opportunities for families to connect. One of my favorite activities to do with my children is to read together.
How I Handled Intense Tantrums in My Kindergarten Classroom
One of my students, Max, has been having trouble during transitions and new activities. When something is not going his way, he shuts down and I can see him tense up.
Supporting Family Resilience
An unexpected or difficult event always has the potential to get us down; being resilient refers to our ability to move through tough times, grow and adapt in the face of stress, and support our overall wellbeing. Key skills that support resilience can be practiced as an individual or as a family. Communication, problem-solving, setting effective goals, and managing stress all contribute to resilience. Practicing skills that support resilience can be helpful, even when times are difficult. Here are a few of our favorite strategies.
Videos
Advice for Foster Parents
This video highlights former foster youth, Annika and Maria, who share their advice for resource parents. Created to inspire and support resource parents, they talk about the important of being patient and keeping an open mind with foster youth. Share this video with resource parents to help them understand the experiences of foster youth.
Advice From a Foster Youth Who Has Had Difficult Experiences
This video features Edwardo, a First Star UCLA Bruin Academy Student and former foster youth, as he talks about building a support system. He explores why his support system was a crucial part of building resilience in the challenging environment of the child welfare system. This video is useful for work with foster youth and their resource families to support and inspire them.
Advice to Foster Parents From a Current Foster Youth
This video features a current foster youth offering advice to potential resource parents, such as taking time to listen, offering advice, and being a role model. This video will help you to guide resource parents to create strong bonds with their foster youth.
Printable Tools
Action Plan
Achieving goals is easier when broken down into actionable steps. This worksheet is useful for teaching strategies to break down large goals into small and specific actions.
Child Reactions to Stress
Children and adults have different reactions to stress. Use this informative printable when working with children to learn about what stress reactions look like from birth to 6 years old.
Daily Play
Play is how children learn. Use this guide to teach caregivers how to engage with their child during play in order to enhance the child's learning and strengthen their parent and child bond.
Growing Up Happy and Healthy
Reviewing information about development with caregivers can help them set appropriate expectations for their children as they grow and change. Share this tip sheet with caregivers to teach them about their child's development.
Mobile Tools
FOCUS on Foster Families
FOCUS (Families Overcoming Under Stress) on Foster Families is a free mobile app designed to support foster youth and their caregivers by enhancing existing skills and developing new ones. Through candid video interviews and online tools, FOCUS on Foster Families helps users improve their skills related to communication, emotional regulation, problem solving, and goal setting.
UCLA MARC Mindfulness App
Mindfulness is the practice of training the mind to be present through moment-to-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, body sensations, and the environment. Download the MARC Mindfulness app to participate in mindfulness meditation practice at work or home.
Provider Guides
Building a Foundation, Building Trust
The first few months in a new placement are a time of transition for foster youth and resource parents. Download this guide which highlights specific videos, talking points, and resources that can be used during this transition time to support foster youth and resource parents to develop strong and trusting connections.
Communicating and Goal Setting
A crucial part of supporting foster youth is providing them with the skills needed to achieve success on their own. Download this session guide to teach foster youth to establish effective communication skills and to provide them with tools to set their own goals.
How to Build a Stronger Family
By building on the strengths that already exist you can help them to feel supported and encourage them to recognize positive family attributes. Use this handout to teach families strategies that enhance communication between family members in order to help families to feel stronger and more connected.
Overcoming Tough Emotions and Being Your Own Advocate
Emotion regulation and effective communication skills are foundational to building resilience. Many foster youth have gone through multiple transitions and this guide addresses common stressors and coping skills. Download this guide which highlights specific videos, talking points, and resources that can be used to support foster youth.
Español
Prevención del abuso infantil
Los recursos para la prevención del abuso infantil son cruciales durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Use esta hoja para obtener información sobre los recursos útiles, incluyendo Familias Seguras para Niños, Asociaciones Para Familias, el Departamento de Salud Mental y el Programa de Intervención contra la Violencia.