 |
| Photo courtesy of http://www.yoffetherapy.com |
Children
Awaiting Parents will be hosting a 12 week support group for children and teens
that are freed for adoption in foster care. Children Awaiting Parents is inviting caseworkers to refer any children between the ages of 12-21 who might benefit from this
group. Based on the
level of interest, we hope to have one group located in Rochester, NY and one in
Syracuse, NY. The groups will be open to anyone who is able to be transported to
these locations.
The purpose of the waiting child support group is to prepare foster
children for adoption while developing supportive relationships with other
waiting peers. The group will address the hurt and loss in the children’s past
that has resulted from languishing in the foster care system and provide
lifelong tools and resources to help them cope. Friendships and trusting
relationships among the support group will be encouraged through a discussion
of adoption topics, and team building activities. The goal is to improve the
youth’s ability to form connections with a pre-adoptive family and begin to
better understand their feelings about their past.
The group will allow children to understand that what they are feeling
is common, they are not alone, and they are able to talk about their feelings
in a safe environment. The children will have the opportunity to discuss topics
including the process of adoption, birth families, foster parents, and aging
out while learning to apply applicable CBT and DBT skills. Participating
in the group is voluntary. Children can be at varying levels of adoption
preparedness and have mixed or unclear feelings about adoption.
The waiting child support
group will be run by Kristy Aquilla and Melanie Schmidt. If you have any
questions or for a copy of the child referral form, please feel free to contact them at (585) 232-5110.
No comments:
Post a Comment