The question for May 7, 2020 comes from Anonymous in New York City:
What about grief?
I feel like the emotional toll I will experience when the child in my home is reunited with her birth parents will devastate me.
Amy Drayer, then Director of Foster, Kinship and Parent Group Services at the Coalition answers:
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of being a foster parent is the moment a child leaves your home. When a child leaves a home, no matter the level of attachment, there will be emotions when it is time to say goodbye, for both the family and the child. Most foster parents do feel grief during the removal of a child from their care, as the child has come to be an important and loved member of the family. After all, the removal of a child from a foster home is akin to a loss, and any loss can cause grieving.
I recommend joining a parent group in your region or one of the many offered online now by the Coalition. You may also want to speak with a therapist, this may be helpful in terms of processing your feelings.
To speak to Coalition staff and/or for information on how to connect with a parent group please call the Coalition’s helpline 888-354-1342.
Do you have a question? Call us on the HelpLine!
Call the Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York’s toll free HelpLine at 888-354-1342: the only FREE statewide 24/7 service of its kind for designed specifically to assist foster parents, kinship carers, adoptive families, related professionals and those wishing to foster or become parents. We have the support you need right now.