Did you know?
Teens make up nearly half of all the children in foster care. No matter their age, kids need a place to call home. What they don’t need are diapers, bottles, and nighttime feedings!
โWhen I realized that I was making a decision about a specific boy, and not just any random teen, it made a difference.โ
Karrie, a Salt Lake foster parent, was referring to the difference it made in her ability to make a decision. She began fostering with a parameter of age, but as she considered the children’s needs, her focus became the child and she found herself no longer worrying about the childโs age. This realization didnโt just make a difference in her decision-making. It also made a differenceโฆa big differenceโฆin the lives of teens she has since cared for.
Why foster a teen?
Each year, Utah Foster Care hosts events that focus on educating prospective foster parents and the public about fostering and showing up for teenagers. At these events, you will get to hear from local foster families and teens themselves.
Youโll hear questions likeโฆ โHow do you deal with sibling rivalry?โ โDo you have children the same age and how do they fit together?โ โDo you recommend caring for children younger than yours or older?โ โWhat can you do to build a relationship with them?โ And to the teen on the panel, โHow long did it take you to feel trust? How long before it felt like your home?โ
They aren’t just “foster teens”…
They are teens who happen to be in foster care. Foster families often share that friends and neighbors have all experienced situations with their own children that arenโt much different than what they have seen as foster parents.
About half of the children in foster care are teens.
The state of Utah struggles to find enough families for all of the children who are longing for a stable family. For some reason we get scared by the age, when perhaps a better focus when determining our capacity to care for them would be the youthโs behavior and needs. As one of the panelists put it,
โYou think youโre scared? Think how scared these kids are. The stakes are higher for them.โ
When teens age out of foster care without a place to call home and someone to call family, they can face unique and concerning challenges – poverty, homelessness, pregnancy at a young age, and more. Learn more about it here.
Consider joining us for an event to learn more about how you can make a difference in the lives of vulnerable teens in Utah. Learn from families already caring for teens; what it’s like, why we need you, and how you can help.
Questions about foster parenting in Utah?
We have a team of people near you who can answer them!
