Understanding the Foster Care System

By Holly Madden

There are so many stigmas that exist around the system and those inside of the system. Since the system disproportionately impacts families who are in poverty, families inside of the system, those who have had cases closed from the system, and those at risk of being in the system are not only some of the most vulnerable families in our communities but those most in need of the supportive, compassionate community. There are many ways local churches can serve as this supportive community, including through our Family Connection Program. The link below connects to our training portal that provides helpful information on understanding the systems and the needs that exist inside and around them.

Trauma Training Takeaways: Foster care is traumatic. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding removal, the separation of a child from everything they know is traumatic. Even infants removed at birth experience attachment wounds in the separation between themselves and their mothers. Trauma is often cyclical and many of the parents who have children in the foster care system today were once children in foster care themselves. Working with families in the foster care system should center on the understanding that every person interacted with has a trauma background and that compassion, sensitivity, and the action of listening can be incredibly healing and build trust.