This is part 2 of a multi-part series all about planning child centered transitions in foster care. Please click here to access prior posts on this topic.
When a child is placed in out-of-home care, we often overlook the importance of transition planning. I've heard well-meaning child welfare professionals say, "Just move the kid quickly without much notice, something like ripping off a band aid." Sound familiar? Transitions that are carried out with the "rip off the band aid" method are very rarely child-centered in my opinion.
I'm going to break down what I mean when I say "child centered transition" in the next few posts. To do this, I'm planning to share a few different versions of the same transition scenario with you, and then we will examine the similarities and differences of the child's experiences before, during and after the transition. When we are finished, you will have a good understanding of how we can work together to plan transitions that are as least harmful as possible for the child.
So now I would like you to meet Claire (a fictional child experiencing foster care). Claire is 6 years old and has been in the same foster only placement for the past 18 months. TPR has occurred and a pre-adoptive family has been identified. The time has come to transition Claire from her foster family to her pre-adoptive family.
Join me next week to see how Transition #1 goes for Claire.
Katie
Comments