In the last issue of Fostering Perspectives we asked young people in foster care \u201cWhat do your foster, adoptive, or kinship parents do to take care of themselves so they can do a good job taking care of you?\u201c Here\u2019s what they had to say.<\/p>\n
Maria, age 16<\/p>\n
My foster parents do a good job taking care of me by taking care of themselves first. How? Well first of all, they always respect each other. No matter how bad the situation is, they respect each other. They always discuss anything that is going on. If it\u2019s private they will wait until night to discuss the situation.<\/p>\n
Also, they always make sure we have family time. You know family time is the most important in the world. Having a family and not having family time is like making ketchup without tomato. They also have respect for each other\u2019s feeling. Also, they take care of each other when they are sick.<\/p>\n
And what I love is that they also work on putting up an example so when I am older I will know what to do and not suffer. Maria received $100 for taking first prize in the writing contest.<\/p>\n
PULLQUOTE: No matter how bad the situation is, they always respect each other.<\/p>\n
Dakota, age 10<\/p>\n
My foster mom does a lot to take care of me and three other kids. She takes herself to the doctor to help herself be healthy . . . . She also exercises to stay in shape. There are also tons of other things she does for herself to help me. I love and appreciate her for that. Dakota received $50 for taking second prize in the contest.<\/p>\n
Anayah, age 13<\/p>\n
My adoptive parents go to the doctor and the dentist whenever the need to. . . . They spend time with us and time without us to sift their minds out. They make sure they keep in contact with our teachers. They try to keep on top of what\u2019s going on! Oh, I forgot\u2014they also go to a lot of workshops about children. Anayah received $25 for taking third prize in the contest.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Parents Practicing Self-Care<\/p>\n
My adoptive mother gets her nails done. My adoptive parents go grocery shopping to make sure we have enough to eat. They exercise every day. They really take care of themselves so they can take care of me. \u2014 Caroline, age 7<\/p>\n
They take their medicines. They make sure they go to the bank. My adoptive mom gets a yearly checkup.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Byanca, age 8<\/p>\n
My foster mom, Ms. Michelle, does everything she can to take care of me and my foster sister. I\u2019ve been in foster care for about six and a half months. It\u2019s not easy being in foster care. It\u2019s actually kind of difficult. I\u2019ve had my up and downs with both Ms. Michelle and my foster sister.<\/p>\n
Ms. Michelle will do almost anything for us, but it has to be within her budget. She makes sure we have clothes to wear and food to eat. She gets rest at night and she\u2019ll wake us up in the morning to get ready for school.<\/p>\n
I know that\u2019s pretty much the basic needs of Maslow\u2019s hierarchy of needs, but I don\u2019t care, it still counts, because she doesn\u2019t have to buy us clothes, or stuff to do in our free time. For instance, she buys me yarn because I crotchet and she knows it keeps me busy.<\/p>\n
I had three A\u2019s and a B on my report card for the end of the first nine weeks as a freshman, so she took me to Michael\u2019s and she bought me three things of yarn. \u2014 Malia, age 14<\/p>\n
These young people received $20 for having their work<\/p>\n
published in Fostering Perspectives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A Better Girl by Natosha, age 13<\/p>\n
Once upon a time there were two girls living with their mother. Hailey and Natosha were the best of friends when they were little, but as they got older they started arguing and fighting non-stop. Separating and punishing did not work\u2014they still fought.<\/p>\n
One day Natosha got so mad at her mother and her sister she ended up running away. Natosha\u2019s mom called the cops and asked them to help find her missing daughter. When Natosha returned her mom said she had had enough.<\/p>\n
Natosha was sent away to a therapeutic foster home, but not forever\u2014just until she got her act together.<\/p>\n
Natosha was furious and really sad. But when everything settled down, things changed. Natosha started to get better and better. Finally everything calmed down enough she could go home. Natosha was filled with joy.<\/p>\n
When Natosha saw her mother standing there with open arms, Natosha gave her a big, big hug and said she was sorry and will be good for the rest of her life. What Natosha said was true. Natosha will never have to leave her mom ever again.<\/p>\n
Natosha received $20 for having her work published in Fostering Perspectives.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Mine & Yours<\/p>\n
by Jacob, age 13<\/p>\n
in my life<\/p>\n
we had to hide the knife<\/p>\n
in your life<\/p>\n
you grew up right<\/p>\n
in my car<\/p>\n
we couldn\u2019t drive too far<\/p>\n
in your car<\/p>\n
you could probably<\/p>\n
go for a tour<\/p>\n
in my kitchen<\/p>\n
they talked of snitchin\u2019<\/p>\n
in your kitchen<\/p>\n
all you could smell is<\/p>\n
chicken<\/p>\n
near the trees<\/p>\n
is where we grew the weed<\/p>\n
near your trees<\/p>\n
you could hear the bees<\/p>\n
on my land<\/p>\n
there were lots of<\/p>\n
beer cans<\/p>\n
on your land<\/p>\n
is a box of sand<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jacob received $20 for having his poem published in Fostering Perspectives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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