On May 14, former foster children, LBCC staff, and foster parents gathered in a Zoom meeting called, “Fostered Youth Ally Training,” to discuss foster parenting and the many struggles a foster child can endure in life.
Theresa Reed, former foster child and author of the book, “It’s Not Drama, It’s Trauma,” described her first experience with foster care and said, “I went into the system at 13 and on the last day of school in 7th grade my mother picked me up from school which I thought was unusual. She told me to pack some stuff for me.”
Reed describes this as unusual and wasn’t sure what was going on or what to expect.
She continued and said, “My sister didn’t tell me what was going on. So my mother dropped me and my sister off at the DCFS office on Colorado Boulevard, not a whole lot of conversation and so that was my entry into foster care.”
Reed’s story demonstrates the unconventional lifestyles and ways that foster children are brought into the world of foster care. Being ripped from a family like this can be traumatic for young children.
Reed said, “Foster care is designed to provide a temporary home for children whose parents are unable to take care of them. Children who are in foster care become wards of the court or wards of the state.”
There can be misunderstandings when being a child in the foster care system and Reed wanted to clarify that by sharing her story.
Reed said, “I’m number 3 out of my mothers 11 children. What I came to realize very early was there was a pattern that developed, when we turned 13 we were sent away in one form or another. It was part of my healing process trying to make sense of what happened, why I was sent to foster care.”
The goal in this Zoom event was to reduce the stigma of foster care. “A lot of people think that children in foster care are just bad kids and that’s not it. It really has nothing to do with the child’s behavior but the lack of capacity from the parent,” said Reed.
A video was played that portrayed abuse in foster home settings. Trauma can be implemented into a child’s life and mentality. The video ended with the quote, “I am loveable, I am worthy of care and that glimmer of light, it makes all the difference. Glimmers of light give me hope that someday my summer will come.”
Brenton Reed, former foster child and current LBCC student, shared his experiences with foster care.
Reed recalled how he entered a foster child lifestyle and often misbehaved in his youth.
“Nobody really understood me, nobody took the time out to see why I was the way I was, the things that I encountered, the things that I’ve been through,” said Reed.
These stories show that certain kids who misbehave or stay to themselves could be dealing with a lot from their past, still trying to figure things out.
All it takes is for someone or more to reach out to them with an open-mind and understand why they might be the way they are.
Reed said, “I feel I came from a cycle of being raised a certain way and his parents bring the same things they were taught to their kids.” Success to him means breaking that cycle.
Kristi Lopez, district representative for the Monrovia, Duarte, Claremont and Bradbury region, discussed a broad overview of foster youth legislation, which is meant to help improve the lives of foster youth.
First there is the Extended Foster Care, Assembly Bill 12 which allows foster youth to stay in foster care until the age of 21 and go in and out if previously emancipated. Before if they were emancipated before 18 or turned 18 they would not be allowed back into foster care.
Lopez also addressed the Public Social Services Assembly Bill 403 which allows foster youth to receive a Chafee or Next Up grant. The grants give people who were foster children between the ages 16 and 18 college funds.
Finally, there is the Student Financial Aid bill Senate Bill 150 which allows youth to receive those grants for four consecutive semesters.
To conclude, the hosts of this training want to encourage and educate for a better environment for foster youth by educating themselves and others on how to deal with foster youth.
Foster children can go through trauma from being ripped away from parents and siblings alone. This training helps one think about the background of different children; what trials and tribulations they may be going through or have gone through.