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FOSTERING VERMONT

JANUARY 31, 2019

"You may not control all the events
that happen to you, but you can decide
not to be reduced by them."  - Maya Angelou


Look for Fostering Vermont twice each month and be sure to send your news, events and other items of importance and interest to: mary.collins@vermont.gov  Or, call her at (802) 241-0896.  DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF NEW ARTICLES AND CALENDAR OF EVENTS: TUESDAY, NOON.

IN YOUR DISTRICT

news from around the state


Send us news of what's happening in your community and district.
We'll post highlights here.  Email to:
mary.collins@vermont.gov
 
NEKFAC WELCOMES 
  

Leslie Walker Mitchell

Youth Development Program Coordinator

 

 
Join us for information, questions, and discussion
about services available to youth and families in the Northeast Kingdom!
 
Thursday February 14th, 2019

5:30-7pm

 
Location:  Union Baptist Church on Rt. 5 –
Just 2 miles south of Downtown St. Johnsbury
 
**As always Dinner and Childcare Provided*
 
 RSVP or Questions: contact Barb Hash @ 802-473-6108
or Danielle Puffer @ 802-274-0604

WINTER EVENTS

a selection of upcoming training opportunities and events of interest for vermont foster and kincare families

NEWS YOU CAN USE

helpful news and information

THE TRAUMA INFORMED CLASSROOM

With grief, sadness is obvious. With trauma, the symptoms can go largely unrecognized because it shows up looking like other problems: frustration; acting out; difficulty concentrating, following directions, or working in a group. Often students are misdiagnosed with anxiety, behavior disorders, or attention disorders rather than understood to have trauma that’s driving those symptoms and reactions.

For children who have experienced trauma, learning can be a big struggle. But once trauma is identified as the root of the behavior, we can adapt our approach to help kids cope when they’re at school. Detroit-based clinical director of the National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children, a program of the Starr Global Learning Network, Caelan Kuban Soma offers these tips for understanding kids who have been through trauma plus strategies for helping them. You can also check out our video: What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Childhood Trauma.

1. Kids who have experienced trauma aren’t trying to push your buttons. If a child is having trouble with transitions or turning in a folder at the beginning of the day, remember that children may be distracted because of a situation at home that is causing them to worry.

2. Kids who have been through trauma worry about what’s going to happen next. A daily routine in the classroom can be calming, so try to provide structure and predictability whenever possible. Since words may not sink in for children who go through trauma, they need other sensory cues, says Soma. 

3. Even if the situation doesn’t seem that bad to you, it’s how the child feels that matters. Try not to judge the trauma. As caring teachers, we may unintentionally project that a situation isn’t really that bad, but how the child feels about the stress is what matters most. “We have to remember it’s the perception of the child […] The situation is something they have no control over, feeling that their life or safety is at risk,” says Soma. It may not even be just one event but the culmination of chronic stress.

4. Trauma isn’t always associated with violence. Trauma is often associated with violence, but kids can also suffer trauma from a variety of situations—like divorce, a move, or being overscheduled or bullied. “All kids, especially in this day and age, experience extreme stress from time to time,” says Soma. “It is more common than we think.”

5. You don’t need to know exactly what caused the trauma to be able to help. Instead of focusing on the specifics of a traumatic situation, concentrate on the support you can give children who are suffering. You don’t have to dig deep into the trauma to be able to effectively respond with empathy and flexibility.

6. Kids who experience trauma need to feel they’re good at something and can influence the world. Find opportunities that allow kids to set and achieve goals, and they’ll feel a sense of mastery and control, suggests Soma. Assign them jobs in the classroom that they can do well or let them be a peer helper to someone else. “It is very empowering,” says Soma. “Set them up to succeed and keep that bar in the zone where you know they are able to accomplish it and move forward.”

7. There’s a direct connection between stress and learning. When kids are stressed, it’s tough for them to learn. Create a safe, accepting environment in your classroom by letting children know you understand their situation and support them. “Kids who have experienced trauma have difficulty learning unless they feel safe and supported,” says Soma. “There is a direct connection between lowering stress and academic outcomes.”

8. Self-regulation can be a major challenge for students suffering from trauma. Some kids with trauma are growing up with emotionally unavailable parents and haven’t learned to self-soothe, so they may develop distracting behaviors and have trouble staying focused for long periods. To help them cope, schedule regular brain breaks. Tell the class at the beginning of the day when there will be breaks—for free time, to play a game, or to stretch. “If you build it in before the behavior gets out of whack, you set the child up for success,” says Soma.

9. It’s OK to ask kids point-blank what you can do to help them make it through the day. For all students with trauma, you can ask them directly what you can do to help. They may ask to listen to music with headphones or put their head on their desk for a few minutes. Soma says, “We have to step back and ask them, ‘How can I help? Is there something I can do to make you feel even a little bit better?"

10. You can support kids with trauma even when they’re outside your classroom. Loop in the larger school. Share trauma-informed strategies with all staff, from bus drivers to parent volunteers to crossing guards. Remind everyone: “The child is not his or her behavior,” says Soma. “Typically there is something underneath that driving that to happen, so be sensitive."

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY FOLLOW THIS LINK:

https://www.weareteachers.com/10-things-about-childhood-trauma-every-teacher-needs-to-know/

DILIGENT RECRUITMENT

building and sustaining relationships

 

Follow this video link to a helpful video on trauma informed classrooms. Presented by Mark Sander, Director of School Mental Health for Hennepin County and Minneapolis Public Schools and a Senior Clinical Psychologist for Hennepin County. As a certified Master Trainer in the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, he helps develop trauma informed organizations and trauma sensitive schools, and publishes and speaks nationally on school mental health. Mark is former Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Maryland Medical School, and also serves as visiting scholar at Wilder Research. (22:33)

FRONT PORCH FORUM

a component of diligent recruitment

New recruitment messages in support of critical needs in each district are launched on Front Porch Forum on a regular, continuous basis. If you know of a person or family that might be interested in foster care, please let your District office or the Central office know.  Email: mary.collins@vermont.gov

Our most current message supports TRAUMA INFORMED CARE.  Here is an excerpt from that message:


In her 16 years she has experienced things no child should: Domestic violence, sexual exploitation, witnessing or engaging in substance abuse. Foster parenting can be challenging. It is also, in many cases, one of the most rewarding things you’ll do.  Finding a nurturing, suitable, and stable home is essential. And that’s why Family Services is sometimes challenged with finding homes for children. Do you have experience as an educator, social service provider, or healthcare professional? Your professional experience and training could make you an excellent candidate for foster parenting. 

If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent; we would love to hear from you. To learn more, go to http://fostercare.vt.gov.  If you want us to contact you, complete the form at
http://dcf.vermont.gov/foster-care-inquiry.

 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

thank you for your generosity and support!

The support we receive from community partners throughout Vermont makes possible many of the experiences foster children and their families enjoy - from trips to state parks and science museums, to Back-to-School supplies and sponsorships of events; your generosity provides enriching experiences for children and families.  Each week we acknowledge some of these generous partners throughout the state.  This week we would like to thank:
 
 Kellogg-Hubbard Library, Montpelier, VT
 
"The library was so amazing in their support of hosting the joint event documentary showing! They did so much outreach and used all of their resources to advertise the film. The director of Adult Programs was so supportive, I feel like we have an ally with the library. We are grateful for your commitment to sharing our story with your listeners.

Thank you!"


Alona Tate
Recruitment & Retention Specialist
Barre, VT




 
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Vermont Department of Children and Families, Family Services Division
All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
280 State Street HC1N Building B Waterbury Vermont 05671
Tel: (802) 241.0896

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VT DCF Family Services Division · 280 State Dr · Fsd Building B · Waterbury, VT 05671-1030 · USA

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