Keeping private conversations away from little ears is so important for any child, biological too. My daughter needs to see a speech therapist and i am very careful to not talk about her speech issues in her hearing. She's 4 and 100% able to understand what's going on. I dont want her to think she's broken. I always tell her "you're doing SUCH a good job at being a 4 year old!" At the end of every day. Even if she was naughty or had issues that day. Because it's still typical for a4yo.

Yay! Except I don’t take off work, esp since they come every 1-2 weeks. I learned to say, “This is when I’m available,” when scheduling *anything*. Best advice I ever got. It’s not a no, it protects your time.

Personal preference I don't promise kids they won't be removed. Had a child that was working toward reunification we knew it would happen and then boom they went for a visit and didn't come back. The parents had gotten into a treatment facility that allowed kids to be present and ocs just moved them during their visit with no warning. They didn't even get to grab all their stuff from us. In 10 years it only happened once but after that it's hard to promise what we don't actually know.

I am a social worker, now working with adults but did my time in child protection. I absolutely love your channel, and it’s really interesting to see it from the other side. Fostering is something I’d love to do myself one day too, so it’s good to learn from the experts! What I would add to this is that it’s often the social workers role to provide updates to the child, which can often be upsetting or discuss topics that may be unsettling. I would advise foster carers to ask SWs prior to their visit if there is anything specific they need to talk to the child about so you can plan your day. For example, if there are updates that might be upsetting you can plan to do something enjoyable or calming afterwards.

I watch your videos even though I don't foster anymore. I did 2002-2004. Mostly it was a good experience. I had to quit when my husband and I divorced as then I was a single parent of my own biological daughter. We got medically fragile children because I am a nurse. It was challenging at times but it was also rewarding. I'm now a very proud Nana to 2 preschoolers. I love how you handle the different situations that could possibly arise and your tips! Keep sharing!

Excellent video! Way to hold your caseworker's feet to the fire! We have so much to keep track of so I always appreciate it when foster parents remind me and advocate for the children in their care! Love your videos!! I wish we had more foster caregivers like you!

I wish my mom would have had such good foster homes unfortunately she grew up in the fifties and in foster homes that only expected good grades and good behavior which left my mom suffering and everything after that hairaising and terrible no child should have to grow up without a family it’s destructive ! I wish for every child to feel loved and complete because they deserve it!!!

Thank you so much for putting these you tube videos out there. This is so much needed. I was put into the system at 17 dcf was involved at age 16. I was having anger and behavioral problems at home due to my mothers dismissiveness and emotional neglect along with her mental illness. For six months I worked on an inpatient psych unit where we saw a lot of kids living with adopted parents or foster parents and the kids were having emotional difficulties or behavioral problems and these parents don’t know how to deal with these kids problems so sadly they give up on them and they get moved again and retraumatized. There are not enough resources at the state level to help these parents. We need more resources to help these kids who cannot be treated the same way as a child without trauma. Thank you so much for posting on you tube and sharing this necessary information. You do such a great job in these videos. I wish more people posted on this subject and this type of trauma. As an adult it is hard to find the right kind of help and to find someone who treats this type of trauma. It so important to treat the trauma when they are young it is much harder to do as an adult and the resources are limited and a lot of clinicians who treat trauma or bpd don’t take insurance making this treatment unaffordable and out of reach for so many who constantly struggling with triggers,

I appreciate your videos so much. Have you ever had an experience where the children do not want to do visits and express safety concerns but are court ordered? This is our case right now. My fosters have been in the system multiple times with the abuse escalating and the plan is still for reunification. I just can not believe my state for still having this goal.

I feel like it's tricky to say that someone is a "safe" person, as someone who's had "safe" people become unsafe, and then was not listened to when I tried to tell, because it was a "safe" person. It might help to just let them know that you'll be nearby or that they also have to follow your house rules of safe behavior. I'm curious if other people have ideas about this, as I'm not sure if there are better approaches. Just thought it was something worth considering.

thank you so much for these! My parents fostered to adoption when I was a kid, and I wish they could have known so much of this information.

If you don’t have anyone else around, how do you have conversations about sensitive topics away from young children? Do you just go a bit away from them and let them play while you have the conversation?

Whew! That took me back in time to when me and my kiddos were doing this. Hard work that is so so worth it!😊

Wow I showed my Sister in Saskatchewan and she said they need more people like U. She does the one who put these kids in forster home and she just the way U work . And she said she never seen how U are committed and she said wow if they people like U . Thankyou for sharing!

My social workers never did a body check on me ever my entire time in care, or just a general foster home visit after dropping me off the first day. My social workers was more like a taxi that happen to come to my conference meetings. I do remember my very first social worker would spend a lot of time talking to my bio mom but when she dropped me off at my first foster home she spoke with the foster briefly before leaving. the sw never had a actually conversation with me, or asked me anything other than explain that the foster would show me the home and if I need anything to talk to my new foster mom and that she be in touch soon. I seen her again when I was reunited with my family after only 3 months and that lasted 1 weekend at home with my bio parents before I was put right bk in another foster home.

You have such amazing tips. You should think about creating an app for foster parents that could keep track of all the paperwork, visitor logs maybe even have a library of your videos as a resource.

Can we just appreciate that handwriting real quick? Like wow!!

Wish this was around 18 months ago when our son was placed with us. It is scary and overwhelming.

You are absolutely wonderful, for helping so many children in need and for sharing so much information ♥️

My church minister just got her foster care license, I should definitely introduce her to your channel if she hasn’t already!

Such a pro, by not showing the beautiful child on screen, bravo ! So inspiring to me, even though I never had children.

I just found your channel, this is such needed and important information I've always wanted to foster kids and this has been so informative!!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO ♥️♥️♥️🇨🇦

Thx for this from an adopted kid

We had workers that didnt call or show up for visits for 8 months straight. Called the office they said that doesnt happen. The nwxt worker came once and didnt show up for the next 3 months and didnt answer calls either. Most of the workers had no idea what they were suppose to do. I had one ask me if a 6 month old baby was walking and talking yet🤦‍♀️ If you go into being a foster parent just be aware that you will probably get zero support from cps workers.

I've learned so much from you and I'm not even part of the FS system.

WOW. You are so impressive.

youre a superhero!

Is there a video that explains the visitor's log? I've never heard of that before in a reference to foster care.

With the visitor log, is that for anyone who enters the home who doesn’t live there? Just curious, it’s such a good idea!

Ive got a question, a genuine one. I follow your channel for a while now as i love the work you do. However, i hear of more and more cases of foster children being mistreated and abused. Of all these checks are in place etc how is that possible?

I’m just curious why do you have a guest sign in book?

Why do you have them sign in?

whats the body check

I’m trying to become a special needs teacher and I want to foster

Why do you keep a visitor log?

Visitor log??

do they do it on older kids our just babies

All your shorts are small and I can see toy out or text is blurry

Omg....visitor sign in. Lol

I don't see how people could be social workers. I don't even do a body check on my own kids and never have. It is disgusting that the law allows complete strangers to look at other children's body parts under the guise of a body check. These kids have been traumatized enough if they go from foster home to foster home or even a group home..... We teach kids that it's not okay for *anyone* to look at their bodies... except for in the case when a social worker and perhaps a different social worker each time has to check if they've been abused or not, by looking at their body. No wonder these kids are messed up, especially if a kid got pulled out of their home because of abuse going on. These kids don't have mental issues; these kids just been through trauma! Use common sense people! Half these foster parents shouldn't be foster parents and half these social workers need to get a new career;......oh, I forgot, they'll be used to stop crime because the social workers will respond with talk therapy in mid episode instead of the police showing up to arrest law breakers 🙄

Foster parenting or this foster parent APPEARS to care more about how she is seen by others rather than how she is probably seen right through by the foster kids

I think it's despicable to prevent the siblings from sleeping in the same room if they're bio brother and sister. Also, the "body check" is a little creepy. 🫢