1. Sabra Starnes, LICSW,LCSW-C, RPT-S Thursday, March 8,2018
Non-Traditional Families and Their Caregivers: Foster Care and Reunification in Play Therapy
Sabra Starnes, LICSW,LCSW-C, RPT-S
Thursday, March 8,2018

2. Learning Objectives
The foster care system and the concept of Reunification will be presented
Different Modalities to implement in these systems is critical to understand
Learn more about the role of the caregivers in this system

3. AFSA Law

4. Number of children in Foster Care in

5. U.S. Foster Care Statistics 2014
Permanency Goals for children in foster care
Placement settings

6. Provides social worker-
The Foster Care System: Key Stakeholders And Roles
Social worker, police
Neighbor, teacher,
family member,
Foster Parent(s)-Kinship Care: Shelter, food, medical care, school attendance
Children’s Court: Presiding Judge: Oversees placement, special treatment
School: Provides education
Foster
Child
Foster Care Agency:*
Provides social worker-
additional care for
needier youth
Attorney: Reports to court every 6 months
DCFS - Dept. of Children’s & Family Services: Responsible for providing all mandated services and legally responsible for foster child’s welfare
Educational Rights Holder: Assures child receives legally required education
DCFS Social Worker: Visits foster home; talks with child on regular basis to assure care delivery
Therapist: Provides psychological counseling and support
Legend
Legally Mandated Services
Optional Services

7. Rudy
Rudy is the oldest of three children who came into foster care in the state of Michigan as a result of physical abuse, neglect and abandonment. After their mother, Lois, sought help with her substance abuse, his younger brothers returned home. Lois couldn’t meet Rudy’s special emotional and behavioral needs on a full-time basis and he remained in foster care.

8. Rudy
After Rudy was in care for nearly six years with multiple moves, Lois’s sister, Harriet, was located in Massachusetts through a relative search. At 9 years old, Rudy was placed with Harriet and her six children. After one year, the placement disrupted and Rudy was placed in a group residence. At age 12, Rudy was referred to Casey Family Services and placed in the foster home of Betty and Bob Jones.

9. Children who come into care often will feel range of emotions
Fear
Anger
Confusion
Sadness
Worry
Frustration
Denial
Shy
Shock
Children may present as
Needy
Controlling
Distant
Volatile
Avoidant
Manipulative
Anxious

10. Rudy
Through Harriet, the Casey social worker was able to contact Lois, who was still living in Michigan and had given up hope of having any contact with Rudy. Anxious to see Rudy again but without the financial resources to travel, Lois, assisted by the social worker, wrote Rudy a letter and joined his Permanency Team meeting by phone. Lois located Rudy’s father, Ernie, who struggled with alcohol addiction, but wanted contact with his son. The social worker gathered as much information as she could from both parents to share with Rudy. .

11. Play therapy Techniques to use with the child and is caregivers
Sandtray
Lifebook
Genogram
Narrative Story
Non directive play
Directive play
Therapeutic games
Family-centered approach vs individual only the child approach

12. Therapeutic Themes for healing:
Letting go of “Its my fault”
Believing In Yourself
Keeping Connections and making new ones
Sharing my story
Letting adults who are not my parents care for me

13. Interventions to use with the child and caregivers
Family therapy
Bonding study
PCIT
Theraplay /MIM
Support group and classes
Trainings and workshops

14. Therapeutic Issues: Guilt and shame Loyalty to birth family
Multiple placements
Siblings
Parentified child
Regression

15. Therapeutic Issues Continued:
Learning to trust
Learning to be a kid
Anxiety– What is next?
Fitting in
Caught between two worlds
Dealing with disappointments
Aging out
Coming to terms they may not be going home soon

16. Challenges and Obstacles that than can occur in family therapy
Child
Birth parents
Caregivers
The Child’s Team
Birth parents
Foster parents
the child’s team

17. U.S. Foster Care Statistics 2014
Length of Stay
Outcomes for children Exiting Foster Care

18. When the child returns home to the birth family…

19. Rudy
The social worker also met with Bob and Betty to help them understand and support Rudy as he reconnected with his family. In her letter, Rudy’s mom acknowledged her poor choices and prior substance abuse problem and explained that she had been sober for the last five years. She knew Rudy would have questions and feel angry, but she wanted to work on their relationship. Lois also told him she was employed full time and had lived in the same apartment for four years. .

20. Next webinar in the series is
Questions?
Next webinar in the series is
Non-traditional Families and their Caregivers: Adoption and Kinship in Play Therapy
December 20,2016
1:00-3:00pm Eastern time