When children enter foster care, it’s rarely by choice—and often due to circumstances marked by instability, neglect, or trauma. For a lot of children, the adults in their lives have been unpredictable or unavailable. As a result, trust can feel like a risky or even foreign concept.
But foster care offers something powerful: a chance to begin again.
In your homes, children are given the opportunity to experience safe, stable, and caring environments where healthy relationships can grow. These connections don’t happen overnight. They are built slowly—through consistency, patience, and small everyday moments that show a child they are seen, valued, and safe.
Trust begins when these children realize that you will still be there tomorrow. That they’ll have dinner on the table, someone to check their homework, and a place to rest their head without fear. Over time, these small routines lay the foundation for healing.
As most of you know, many children in foster care carry emotional scars. Trauma can lead to withdrawal, fear, or even challenging behavior. That’s why it’s so important that you, the foster families, understand the power of connection and are willing to meet each child with empathy, not judgment.
You do not need to be perfect—you just need to be present. With training, support, and guidance from your RPMs and DHW, you are never alone in this journey. Together, we work to rebuild what was broken, one relationship at a time.
When a child learns to trust again, it opens the door to everything else: emotional healing, academic progress, personal growth, and a stronger sense of identity and belonging.
Foster care isn’t just about providing a home—it’s about restoring hope. Thank you for all that you do.
Written by Noelle McKee, Region 3 RPM
