Connecting with Students in the Foster System

What are the unique challenges of children in the foster system and how can we support these students in our schools? What do educators need to know about students in the foster system? These questions frame episode five with Colleen Arriola, a fifth grade teacher and parent who raised 10 children including seven adopted from the foster system.

Colleen shares her lived experiences as a parent and an educator and has many insights to share. Educators need to know that students in the foster system are currently in the middle of trauma, as they have been taken away from their families and everything that is familiar to them. Many foster children experience multiple placements, compounding ongoing trauma. Students may struggle to navigate school and its academic and social demands. Some of the specific effects of students’ trauma that we may witness in schools include an inability to focus, behavioral issues, impulse control, and difficulty trusting people.

Colleen also recommends that we prioritize building trust with students in the foster care system. Another priority is striving to create systems and routines so students know what to expect and what is coming next in their school day. However, as with all students experiencing trauma, each student is an individual and we as educators should avoid generalizations about students in foster care. 

 

Resources:

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)

Maximizing Academic Success for Foster Care Students: A Trauma-Informed Approach

OEA’s Becoming a Trauma Informed Educator Series

OEA Grow is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network.