Welcoming teens in foster care into your home:
Try to refrain from asking a million questions right away – and don’t put them in a position where they feel like they have to answer as many!
A great way to do this is by creating a basket of essentials that they will need to get them through the first night! Even if you already have these in your bathroom or other places in the house, it eliminates the need for them to ask you where everything is on their first day.
Have LOTS of snacks!!
Allow them to decorate their room and make it their own.
Give them a way to play music! We put an Echo Dot in her room. Music is a great way to bond and is so important to the majority of teenagers.
Try to get clothing sizes beforehand, if at all possible. Some kids come with nothing, and it’s helpful to have an outfit or two ready to go, to buy time until you can get to the store together.
Allow the kids & teens to call you whatever they are most comfortable with – and ask them how they would like to be referred to and introduced to others in public. Some kids don’t want to be labeled as “foster kids” in public, and others may prefer it!
Allow them alone time so they can slowly adjust to the move. Some kids aren’t ready to bond or open up the minute they arrive… give them time to gather their thoughts before pressing them to join in on “family time”.
You can write in a cute notebook with warm, gentle, and welcoming language the names/ages of other people and pets in the house, as well as any other basic notes, so that they can revisit it if they forget or are nervous to ask you to tell them again.