Foster Cub

32 pages of activities for kids aged 4 to 12

connect with us online at www.fosterclub.org!

has questions about foster care

FosterClub, the

national network of young people in foster care

(blank - inside front cover)

Hi!

My name is Foster Cub. When I started foster care I had a lot of questions.

Maybe you have questions, too.

This is your book for you to write in, so you can �ill in the spaces below:

my name is:

I am

years old.

One special thing you should know about me is:

This “Words to Help” section, located at the bottom of every page, provides guidance for supportive adults who are encouraged to work through the pages of this publication alongside the young person.

What is foster care?

Here are some things in foster care. Color the ones that are important to you:

things kids need, like clothes, food, and a toothbrush. a safe place to live for now

Adult helpers who care about you

kid things to do

Foster parents to take care of kids

Let the young person know that they will be safe and have their basic needs met while in foster care. Throughout this publication, the term “Adult Helper” is used to refer to all of the adults who are stakeholders in the child’s case plan, including caregivers, therapists, attorneys, CASAs, Judges, caseworkers and other parties interested in the young person’s well-being.

Why am I going into foster care?

There are lots of reasons kids go into foster care. Some reasons might be:

Maybe they have no place to live

Maybe mom or dad can’t take care of them right now Maybe their parent needs help form other adults

Maybe their parent is sick and needs help from doctors Can you think of reasons why kids go into foster care?

������ � � �� � � ������������� ����������������� ����� ��� Color the picture of Foster Cub and his friend, Birdie.

This list of reasons has been kept intentionally short and vague so that an adult helper can provide an ageappropriate response. This page might also be used to learn what a child already knows about why they have entered foster care by encouraging a child to help coming up with ideas for the last answer, “can you think of other reasons?” Be sure to point out, as Birdie says, that it is never the child’s fault that they are in foster care.

Are there other kids in foster care?

YES! There are lots and lots of kids in foster care.

Color Foster Cub and his Cub friends!

There are even books and movies about kids being in foster care. Can you name some?

A fact: There are about 500,000 (half a million) children in foster care in the U.S.A Check out these movies that include foster care characters: Meet the Robinsons (G) Hotel for Dogs (PG) August Rush (PG) Martian Child (PG)

Helping children understand that they are not alone and that lots of other young people have been in foster care can be reassuring. Log on to www.fosterclub.org with your child and read about other foster children and safely interact on monitored message boards.

Who will take care of me?

All kids need a grownup to take care of them. Adult helpers called foster moms and foster dads can help keep kids safe and healthy. How do foster parents keep kids safe and healthy? Crack these codes to �ind out!

Fill in the spaces below with the letters that line up with the number 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

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a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

12 13 l

m

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24 25

26

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

x

z

y

1. Fix ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

5. Answer ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

2. Wash ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

6. ___ ___ ___ ___

3. Buy ___ ___ ___ ___

7. Clean ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

4. Help with

8.

2

18

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1

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1

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___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 8 15 13 5 23 15 18 11

17 21

18

5

1

8

5

4

15 21

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 4 18 9 22 5

19 20

9

15

14

19

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 19 20 15 18 9 5 19

19

5

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ 16 12 1 3 5 19

The role of a foster parent may be confusing to a child. Help a child understand what a foster parent is and is not, including ways in which they are not replacements for biological parents. Lead the child to see that a foster mom is not a threat to the biological mom, helping to alleviate feelings of disloyalty.

1. Maybe you could live in a house like this. Color a room your favorite color.

Where will I live?

2. Put a blue X where you could put your clothes.

3. Place a red circle around a good place to have lunch.

Adult helpers can help young people understand their place in the home. Young people who enter foster care may have experienced housing displacement and homelessness, and may need help feeling comfortable in a home environment. Provide children help understanding where they may go freely in the home and where they should ask permission or knock before entering.

What does your foster home look like?

Draw a picture of YOUR foster home Take a ‘tour’ of a child’s drawing and ask them to show you around the house. Along the way, locate the places where they can keep their own items, including things that are important to them (such as photos and keepsakes).

Who lives in foster homes?

Every foster home is a little bit different. At your foster home you might �ind: Other kids

Pets

Grownups

Write the names of everyone living at your foster home:

Babies

Color the pictures on this page that show who lives in your foster home.

Have a conversation with the young person to determine what they should call the individuals in the home.

For example, should the foster parents be called by their �irst name, by’Momma’ or ‘Poppy’ (which may be dif�icult for some children), or by some other nickname? Will the other children in the home be referred to as brothers and sisters (keep in mind that referring to others as ‘foster’ mother or ‘foster’ brother puts a young person in the position of disclosing their foster care status each time introductions are made).

Where will I sleep?

Draw a picture of yourself in a safe, warm bed.

Do any of these items make you feel safe and cozy when you go to sleep? Circle the words, or write your own!

special blanket stuffed animal lights on night light door open door closed special pillow glass of water pictures bedtime story

Being safe while sleeping can be a primary concern for children who enter foster care. Adult helpers can help a child pre-plan for what they will need to feel safe and secure.

How can I tell people in my foster home about me?

I am a

boy girl

My favorite game is: ____________

My birthday is _____________

My next birthday, I will be ______ years old If you wanted to get me a present, here’s what I’d really like:

I am: right handed left handed

My favorite sport is: ________________

I have _____ teeth on top I have _____ teeth downstairs The color of my hair is: brown black orange red

blonde

green

This esteem building worksheet can be used to help a child introduce themself to a new foster parent or other supportive adults. Make it even more fun by having the supportive adults jump in with their own information, comparing similarities and differences along the way.

I am _____ feet, ____ inches tall

I wear glasses:

yes

no

Here is the color of my eyes: brown black green blue purple I wear freckles:

yes

My favorite color is: ________________

no My favorite thing to do at school is: ________________ I can stand on my hands: yes, for ____ seconds

no

My feet are ticklish: yes no my favorite food is:

but I don’t like :

________________

________________

How do I tell foster parents about stuff I like to do?

Color all of the activities that you like to do. Fill in information about your favorites!

Climb trees and play outside.

Playing cards and other games.

My favorite game is:

Work or play on a computer My favorite computer game is:

Going on walks.

My favorite place to walk is:

Dancing or gymnastics.

Play or listen to music.

My favorite song is:

Play is instrumental to the healthy development of children. Adults can promote involvement in activities that will help children cope with stress in healthy ways. Many children in foster care have not had adequate opportunities to do “regular kid� activities and may need help learning to do and enjoy these kinds of activities.

Some of these activities may also promote social skills, an area where many foster youth experience dif�iculties.

Riding bikes.

Swim or play in the water.

My favorite place to ride is:

Reading or hearing stories.

Skateboarding or other sports.

My favorite story is:

Playing with toys.

My favorite sport is:

My favorite toy is:

Use the space below to draw other stuff you like to do.

What kind of food will I eat?

Draw your favorite breakfast food in the bowl!

Many children entering foster care have had unreliable access to food. Because of these experiences, it is quite common for children in foster care to hoard or stash food. Adult helpers can support children by allowing them to maintain control of their own personal food supply. Consider providing a cooler or small backpack with healthy non-perishable items so a child can maintain control over for their personal snack supply.

Why are my feelings all mixed up?

Color the faces of Foster Cub that show the feelings you have in foster care.

sad

frustrated

nervous

mad

lonely

happy

embarassed

scared

loved

Foster Cub says, “When I went into foster care, I had all kinds of mixed-up feelings. How about you?

Color all of the feelings you have had. Then tell an adult helper how you are feeling today!�

Help young people understand that it is normal to have a wide range of feelings while they are in foster care. This chart can be used to identify some of them and share ideas about coping with emotions.

What can I bring to my foster home?

Color the items you already have at your foster home.

Draw a line from an item to the bag for any items you would like to get from your old home.

Children may be worried about belongings left behind at their previous home. If they are not allowed to have certain items at their new home, help alleviate fears by making arrangements for the safekeeping of these things. When it comes to pets, help make arrangements for their care and safety when possible.

blanket book pet

Are there other things you wish you could bring from your old house to your foster home? Draw them or list them here:

Help a child communicate what they miss or are longing for from their previous home.

Will I be going to school?

the name of my school is:

Show what you like most about school! Draw a line from the objects below to the front door of the school.

Then color the picture.

Math

Art Friends

Reading P.E. Teachers

Sports Writing

Recess

Young people from foster care often cite school as being one stable thing they had while in foster care.

Help a child maintain school stability and achieve educational success by teaming with teachers and school administrators.

How do I tell about the people in my family?

Fill each star with name of a person that is part of your family. Then color the page.

Help the child document the names of relatives and family-like persons in their life. Often, the ability to remember names fades over time. This chart is intentionally designed in non-tree format because many children in foster care identify people as aunts, uncles, and cousins, even though not related by blood. These kin-like persons, along with blood relatives, may prove to be valuable resources in establishing permanence for the child.

How can I keep in touch with important people?

In each nametag, write the names of family and friends that you would like to keep in touch with.

Next, draw a line from the person to the ways that you can stay connected.

mail

telephone

in-person visits

Use this page to have conversations with children about the people they want to have communication with. Discuss safety and why some visits or phone calls might be supervised. It is important to not make assumptions about their communication wishes — a child may speci�ically want to avoid communication with certain people. In these cases, it may be neccessary to work with a counselor to uncover reasons.

Draw your own faces for these people. Remember to add a hairstyle if you would like!

no e-mail

visits (for now, at least)

What will we do on a visit?

draw a line to activities you’d like to do on your visits!

‹—±

Start here and

play games

look at school work

new idea!

read

eat

exchange gifts

listen to music

look at photos

play video games color

play on computer play with toys

play sports

Beyond initial greetings, family visits can become awkward for the child and visitor alike. Plan ahead with the child about things they can do at their visit, and help pack a bag with items that promote interactivity and connection.

What should I put in a letter to someone in my family?

Dear

,

How are you? I am

excellent

ok sleepy

a super-hero

It sure has been a while since we’ve talked! It seems like I haven’t talked to you for

a minute

weeks a fortnight

forever

One thing that has happened lately that is super-interesting is:

And one more thing — I recently realized I have a crazy skill! I can spend over 2 minutes

If

hoola-hooping

standing on my head

I look forward to hearing back from you

soon

when you have time

sincerely,

love,

burping

on the walkie-talkie

from,

P.S. since it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, I thought I’d draw a picture of what I’d look like if I were a bear cub...

Help a child keep in touch with relatives and friends whenever possible. Assist the child in setting up their own address book, providing stationary and stamps, and ensuring that letters get to the post of�ice.

Consider teaching older children to use e-mail if relatives are able to correspond that way.

What if I have things I’m worried about?

Draw a picture of something that’s on your mind.

Foster Cub says, “It can be hard to tell about something that I’m worried about.

Sometimes I like to draw a picture, then I share it with a safe adult.”

Young people in foster care may worry about many things. They may also disclose secrets which must be disclosed to the authorities. Find out if you are a mandatory reporter. Even if you are not, please seek guidance from a child welfare professional if a child reveals they are currently being harmed or abused or if they have indicated past abuse.

Who can I talk to about it?

Complete the dot-to-dot and color the picture.

27

28 31

32

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26

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Name �ive people you can talk to about problems or or worries or ideas:

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8 6

35

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48

1

50

2

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7

4

5

49

Help a child identify Adult Helpers who are safe to share their feelings and worries with. You may want to connect with these supportive adults and communicate that the child has identi�ied them as an Adult Helper who can be trusted to talk to.

What is a case worker?

Ask your caseworker to help you �ill in this section the next time you talk to them!

my case worker’s name is:

I can call my case worker on the phone by dialing:

�ill out the next section and share it with your case worker. They want to hear how they can help you.

Your Case Worker says: “How can I help you?” You say: setting up visits with my family

explaining what’s going on

extra help with school work

my other ideas:

getting help for my feelings

being my friend

The term “case worker” or “social worker” is not generally known to children. Be sure to explain the important role these people have in helping them while they are in foster care. Help the child understand how to communicate with their case worker when they need help with things.

Judge

How many of these adult helpers have you met?

Case worker or social worker Therapist or counselor

These adult helpers are all a part of your

team!

CASA or GAL

How many of them have you met? Color them in — and add a name if you know them.

Foster parents

Attorney

Mentor Depending on the age of the child, they may be able to understand the concept of a team (for example, compared to their soccer or basketball team). This may help them understand how many adult helpers have a spot on their foster care team.

What will it look like at court?

Can you color the courtroom? The Judge has placed stars at all of the locations you might sit when you visit a court room. Color the stars YELLOW if you have sat in that spot in court before.

“Hello! I am the Judge. Thank you for coming to my court room. I am looking forward to talking with you!”

Judge’s private meeting room

Witness stand

Next to attorney or case worker

Court can be intimidating to a child. Understanding the role of the Judge and the other people they will meet can help ease anxiety.

What will we talk about in court?

Practice answering these questions that a Judge or an attorney might ask you while you are in court.

“How do you like your foster home?”

Judge

“How are you doing in school?”

“Have you had visits with your family?”

“Is there anything you would like me to help you with?”

Help a young person think through answers they might want to provide in court.

Attorney

What will my family be doing while I’m in foster care?

Color the places your parent might be going.

getting a job

visiting doctors

�ixing drug or alcohol problems

�inding a place to live

getting healthy

�inding child care

learning to be a good parent

�ixing anger problems

getting things right with the police taking classes

It can help a child understand why they can’t see their biological parent each day if they are aware of the “job” a parent is undertaking to get healthy and create a safe home. This worksheet could be an activity during a visit between a child and parent.

Can you help me �inish the book?

Write down some other questions that you have had about foster care! Ask your case worker, foster parent, or another adult helper to help you �ind out the answers.

As you work through this workbook, a child may come up with additional questions not covered. Log them here, along with answers, so that a child may refer back. You might also use this page to make a child feel brave like Foster Cub for asking questions about being in foster care.

A special message to Adult Helpers

Editor: Celeste Bodner Illustration: Denise Tuhy Production support: Meagan Wendt, Gina Simone

Copyright © 2010 FosterClub, Inc.

ISBN 9780979116247. Content, Foster Cub and all related characters are property of FosterClub. Published by FosterClub, 753 First Avenue, Seaside, Oregon 97138.

Printed in the U.S.A.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to members of the Oregon Children’s Justice Act Task Force for their collaboration on this project. Their diverse expertise assisted us in creating a coloring book to help children during a dif�icult time in their lives. We would like to recognize the following agency representatives: Juvenile Court Improvement Program, Oregon Judicial Department

The Children’s Center of Clackamas County Columbia County District Attorney’s Of�ice Department of Public Safety Standards and Training

Gevurtz, Menashe, Larson & Howe, PC

Hood River County District Attorney’s Of�ice Jackson County Circuit Court Oregon Commission on Children and Families

Oregon Department of Human Services: Child Protective Services Program, Foster Care Program, Family Based Services Program, Addictions and Mental Health, Of�ice of Investigations & Training Oregon Foster Parent Association Oregon Judicial Department Oregon State Police

A special thank-you to the young people who participated in the development of this coloring book: Brianna, Random, Lucy, Savannah and Chris.

Every 2 minutes another child in America enters the foster care system. While foster care provides a safe haven from abuse and neglect for the child, it can also produce uncertainty and many mixed emotions. Young people, often many years later, clearly recall the confusion and anxiety they experienced upon entering the system.

Look for this tab at the bottom of each page for information and advice to guide your conversation with a child.

This workbook is designed to support younger kids through these confusing times by explaining the basics of foster care, introducing them to people they will be reacting with, helping them identify their own needs and wishes, and by validating their concerns by showing them that other kids often share the same feelings.

As a supportive adult, your interaction can provide calm for these children.

Thank you for your commitment to young people in foster care. FosterClub wants to support your efforts by providing free downloadable pages of this workbook at www.fosterclub.org. You’ll also �ind information about purchasing low-cost workbooks.

Proceeds from sales of the Foster Cub coloring book benefit foster children through FosterClub, the national network for young people in foster care.

For order information, contact FosterClub at 503-717-1552 or visit www.fosterclub.org

About FosterClub FosterClub is the national network of young people in foster care. Our mission is to improve life for young people in foster care through a national network that is built for youth, powered by youth, and changing life in foster care. We believe that young people in and from foster care deserve to be connected, educated, inspired and represented.

The members of FosterClub are resilient young people determined to build a better future for themselves and for other kids coming up through the system behind them. We thank you for supporting children and youth in foster care.

Inside back cover - blank

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Foster Cub helps foster parents, case workers, courts, advocates, and other supportive adults talk to children about foster care: • Provides an introduction to foster care and decreases fears about entering care • Empowers a child to ask questions and provides supportive adults with childfriendly answers • Offers conversation-starters to help improve communication during a traumatic time

Fo sterClub is the national n et wo r k fo r yo u n g p e o p l e i n fo ste r ca re

For approximately half a million children living in foster care across the country, childhood has been interrupted by abuse, neglect or abandonment. FosterClub is their club, a place to turn for advice, information, and hope. Visit www.fosterclub.org Copyright © 2010 FosterClub, Inc. ISBN 9780979116247. Published by FosterClub, 753 First Avenue, Seaside, Oregon 97138. Printed in the U.S.A.