Children in care have individual needs which may not be met within standard Foster Care or Respite Care placements. Here are some ‘signs’ that a child’s specific needs could be met through Therapeutic Fostering.
Difficulty Trusting Adults
The child consistently pushes the carer away, refuses physical comfort, tests boundaries, etc. The child’s behaviour can be explained by their attachment to adults being negatively affected by relational trauma from their early years.
Emotional Dysregulation That Won’t Settle
If a child’s feelings change quickly and last for a long time and in the end don’t go away, then they must be helping the child to understand the impact of trauma on this child’s development.
A Significant Trauma History
There is a history of abuse, neglect or a series of failed placements. A child with this history may be affected in terms of their eating, sleeping, sleep and daily living.
Regression in Skills or Development
There are occasions when for a time a fostered child has lost skills he or she had previously. These can be toilet training, spoken language or physical care of self. We call this ‘regression’ and it is as a result of children having been in a state of ‘hypervigilance’ (being ‘on the go all the time’).
School Struggles Rooted in Anxiety
Children who display poor concentration, increased levels of anxiety, resulting in increased levels of anger, or who refuse to attend school, may be displaying symptoms of hypervigilance.
For Therapeutic Fostering Wales, see https://saferfostering.org.uk/therapeutic-fostering/.
It’s vital we recognise these signs of need early on to find the right fostering family for a child’s needs.
