Strengthening Foster Families

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Foster families are doing significant work to support both the children in their homes and the parents of those kids. What do they need to thrive in this work? We talk with Cathleen Bearse, a licensed therapist, foster mom, and the creator of Fearless Fostering. She supports foster and adoptive parents with practical tools, emotional guidance, and trauma-informed strategies with her real-life experiences and clinical expertise.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Your organization is called ‘Fearless Fostering’ – what does that mean to you right now in the work that you do with foster families every day?
• What makes fostering profoundly worth it in your life and in your family, even when it’s hard?
• What are some unexpected joys in fostering that people don’t hear about enough?
• When things feel heavy, how do you recommend resource parents reconnect with their ‘why’?
• What are the challenges that catch foster parents off guard the most?
• Where do you see foster parents becoming depleted or overwhelmed?
• What is often misunderstood about the emotional weight of fostering?
• How does isolation show up in foster parenting?
• How can fostering strain a household without the right support?
• What patterns have you seen in marriages or partnerships under stress?
• How does chronic stress show up in foster parents’ mental and physical health?
  • What early warning signs should families not ignore?
• If you could give every foster parent four supports, what would they be?
  • Community
  • Therapeutic Space
  • Permission to Unschedule
• Permission to Focus on “Just You”
• What does realistic self-care actually look like for foster parents?
• Where should foster parents begin if they realize they need more support?
• How can they pursue continuing education without becoming overwhelmed?
• What would you say to someone who wants to foster but fears they aren’t strong enough?
• What is one message you want every foster parent to hear today?
• Finally, what would a strengthened foster family look like five years from now if we truly supported them well?

Resources:

• Self-care for Foster Parents
• What is Respite Care and How Do I Access It?
• What Foster Parents Want You to Know About Fostering

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Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.
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