Whatever the reason youth enter the foster system, the experience is often marked by sudden loss of parents, siblings, extended family, pets, school, home, friends, personal history, belongings, identity, control, and more. Many youth experience profound grief related to this loss, though the grief doesn’t always present in the ways we might expect. Further, because grief doesn’t have a specific timeline,- youth may experience feelings of grief and loss intermittently for years.
Because the impact of grief can be so significant, it is crucial for the involved adults to navigate and support foster youth experiencing grief with sensitivity and understanding.
This workshop will support attendees to understand the grief faced by foster youth, how it manifests, and what they can do to help and support youth who are navigating this complex emotional terrain.
You’ll learn:
- The expected and unexpected manifestations of grief for foster youth
- How grief impacts foster youth
- How to support foster youth who are navigating grief related to family separation, family loss, or death
- What to say (and what NOT to say) to foster youth who are experiencing grief
- Recognizing and supporting feelings of grief that may present at unexpected times (such as in a happy moment, when achieving a milestone etc.)
- Practical tools for effectively supporting foster youth navigating grief.