Being a foster parent is a rewarding but often demanding experience. The time commitment of appointments, court dates, therapies, visits and more can be exhausting. On top of that, learning to parent children who have experienced trauma can be a new challenge. It’s important to have support as you walk this path.
The way foster families continue providing nurturing care and endure the ups and downs is by having consistent community and resources around them. You can do far more alongside others than you can alone. In addition to support from your family, friends and your placement agency, there are many other ways to gain support – especially from people who understand the unique challenges of foster care.
One way you can find ongoing support is by engaging with organizations that provide resources and tangible help for foster parents. The resources below are a good place to get started, but in many communities you can find local groups as well.
Foster the Family is a nonprofit that offers in-person support groups, resources, respite care and more for foster families. Their in-person local work exists in New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Michigan and Florida, but you can utilize their resources from anywhere. Foster the Family has a Facebook group with thousands of members to whom you can connect and ask questions along your journey. You can also follow Foster the Family’s Instagram page for a wide range of tips and encouragement (and maybe make a new foster parent friend in the comment section!). Explore Foster the Family’s resources and community here.
Chosen is a nonprofit that empowers foster and adoptive parents to lead real change in their families through connection. The children we care for have each experienced trauma in some way. Chosen equips caregivers to help their children heal from that trauma in trusted relationships. Pursuing connection leads to more peace and joy in their homes. Chosen offers parenting coaching, training, therapies and more to support caregivers every step of the way. Plus, they do all their work virtually, so you can engage with them from any part of the country. Learn more about their services and resources at chosen.care.
National Foster Parent Association
The National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) advocates for the wellbeing of foster parents and children in foster care and helps ensure best practices in the foster care system. NFPA addresses the concerns of several independent groups of foster parents and child welfare professionals to provide foster families with opportunities for advocacy, networking and education. They ensure that foster, kinship and adoptive families are recruited, assessed, trained and supported with evidence-based best practices. They also ensure these families receive the right resources to help the children in their care thrive. Foster parents can even find helpful educational courses through the NFPA training institute. Learn more about becoming a member of the National Foster Parent Association here.
Local groups
One of the best ways to get support as a foster family is to seek out local foster parent groups. There may be organizations in your town or nearby that support foster families. This can include providing resources like school supplies and clothing, training, parents’ night out events or even simply connecting you with other foster parents in your area. Consider doing a little research online to see what is in your area. There may also be support groups at local churches or through your agency.
Foster parenting is a difficult journey. Be sure to seek out as much support and community as you can so that you can stay well and continue providing a stable, nurturing environment for the children in your care.
How Omni Family of Services Supports our Foster Families
Omni Family of Services provides support for the families we serve every step of the way. First, we offer trauma-informed training to prepare you for your role. Once you are approved as a parent, we offer a wide range of trauma-informed behavioral health services, including assessments, therapies and interventions, to help children heal and overcome the challenges they’re experiencing.
We connect our foster parents to one another to build community through events and in-person trainings as well as private foster parent Facebook groups for each location in which we serve. In some regions we offer foster parent support groups, and we also offer foster parent mentors for added guidance. We’d love to support you in your fostering journey. Learn more about fostering with us here.
Get in touch with the Omni team
Whether you’re considering becoming a foster or adoptive parent, want to access behavioral health services, or are interested in joining the team, we want to help. Click below to connect with our team, we’d love to talk.