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Meeting the Special Needs of Foster Children in Child Care.
Conners-Burrow, Nicola.
Patrick, Terese.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. Division of Community Research. Project Play.
Briefing Materials
[8] p.
Public Domain
Published: April 2012
Sponsoring Organization: Arkansas Division of Child Care and Early Childhood Education.
Download: http://web.archive.org/web/20161221072341/http://familymedicine.uams.edu/files/2012/05/crg_Meeting-the-Special-Needs-of-Foster-Children-in-Child-Care.pdf
Intended for early childhood professionals, this brief explains the trauma experienced by children in foster care, the impact of trauma on young children, and specific behaviors that are possible reactions to trauma in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It explains children need a stable relationship with a caring adult and can benefit from attachment to their child care teacher. Recommendations are made to early childhood teachers that can support children who have experienced trauma, including: maintain an age appropriate daily schedule, provide encouragement and support, use positive behavior guidance techniques, and be sensitive to the things in the environment that may cause a reaction in the traumatized child. Specific techniques are explained for each strategy. Resources are then listed to encourage teamwork and support children's development, and professionals are cautioned to take steps to avoid compassion fatigue. 18 references.
Keywords:
foster children; child care workers; early childhood education; teachers; childhood trauma; infants; preschool children; behavior; special needs; guidelines