Foster Care Support Group
Foster care is a system by which a certified, stand-in parent(s) cares for minor children or young peoples who have been removed from their birth parents or other custodial adults by state authority. Responsibility for the young person is assumed by the relevant governmental authority and a placement with another family found.
Hello,
I'm new to this group. Looking for anyone who may be/have been in a similar situation.
My partners and I are currently in the process of training to become foster parents and we've already been contacted about a potential placement of an older teen. This kid is gender fluid/figuring things out, which I believe is a big part of why they asked us specifically- we are a queer family and the agency is specifically looking for a queer affirming placement for this kid.
This teen would be our first foster child and we do not have any children of our own, so this is all new to us and we would love any thoughts/advice anyone has. I don't want to go into too many more details yet, but I'll do my best to address questions if they come up. We are excited about this and we want to be as prepared as possible. It isn't a guarantee yet, as we need to hear from the teen and team about their decision and we need to finish our training, but we're hoping it works out.
That said, don't let your excitement get the best of you. You still need to ask the questions. (Any behaviors, any medical conditions, any problems with the law or in school etc. etc. You will know what you want to ask after you complete training.) And make sure that you're not taking on more then you can handle. It's easy to get excited. Especially if your being made to feel "your the only one that can help".
Ask your questions, get the info you need, and enjoy being a foster parent.
There is no normal, so please don't expect him to be a certain way or react in a certain way.
He's lucky to have been placed in a home like yours, don't give up and good luck.