Teens in Foster Care Aren't Scary Monsters. They are Kids Who Need Homes.

October 7, 2020

By Carol Deloach
Communities Connected for Kids CEO

Port St. Lucie - For many who enter Florida’s foster care system, life has been far from easy. It begins with the trauma of being removed from their family. Some experience multiple placement changes as maintaining connections can be very challenging.

Yet despite these setbacks, teens and young adults in foster care remain resilient. Communities Connected for Kids, together with its statewide membership organization – the Florida Coalition for Children – sees firsthand how young people battle issues that most adults have not experienced. These lived experiences have equipped them with skills and ways of coping that they have used to succeed.

Living during the COVID pandemic has brought a new set of challenges. While some might be tempted to just give up, our youth have not. They have adapted to online classes, navigated peer support networks virtually and remained flexible as therapy and other services have been limited.

They have found healthy ways to cope with their anxiety or depression by running, getting outdoors, journaling and listening to music. While some outside our organization may look at our youth and label them based on their past experiences, we see them for their future potential. The COVID pandemic has taught us many things and has been a good reminder that while our job is to teach our youth, we also have much to learn from them.

Despite this, there remains a mystique about teenagers that often prevents – or at least makes it much more difficult – to find foster homes or adoptive placements for them. During this month of Halloween, we want to remind everyone that teens are not scary. They are not monsters. They are children with the same needs and desires for home shared by younger brothers and sisters.

We are all wearing masks these days. While they can be decorative and reveal bits and pieces of an individual's personality, we have to take extra care to get to know the person behind the mask. If you are interested in fostering or adopting, especially an older child, please call (772) 873-7800 and ask for Jerra Wisecup. We’ll get you started on the treat of a lifetime.

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