If you are an adoptive parent, special guardian, kinship carer or foster carer, you know that your child brings with them a history of loss and change. For some this includes experiences of abuse, neglect, and trauma. It might feel difficult to understand the long-term impact of these experiences, particularly if your child has been living in a safe and secure environment for some time.

It is not inevitable that children who have been adopted or are in foster care will experience extra difficulties. But by learning about the potential impact of your child’s earliest experiences on their development, you will be in a better position to identify difficulties if they do emerge and seek the help that your child or adolescent may need. 

​

Grief and loss

All fostered and adopted children have experienced an important loss – their separation from their birth family. This is true even where children have been adopted shortly after birth. Some might have also experienced losses in relation to their birth culture, language, or religion. Children need ongoing help to think about and make sense of the reasons they are looked after away from their birth parents. By being sensitive to your child’s feelings and potential questions about their identity, you can help your child to communicate, process and understand these difficult feelings.

​

Insecurity in relationships and attachment difficulties

Due to their early experiences of loss, children who have been adopted or are with connected carers or foster carers often find it especially hard to form trusting relationships (‘attachments’) with the adults who care for them. The difficulties may be more significant if the child has experienced moves between multiple carers in the past.

​

Effects on brain development

Neuroscience is just starting to explain how early trauma can change the brain’s growth and development, potentially affecting learning, behaviour, relationships and health. Not all children are affected in the same way - some may show little reaction, for others the impact is delayed, and for others still the effects are severe and immediate. By developing an understanding of the potential impact of early trauma on child development, you may be equipped to help your child to understand themselves, to respond sensitively as their caring adult and to find help when it is needed

​

Book 

I have read and would recommend the A-Z of Therapeutic Parenting by Sarah Naish and although it does not give you everything it gives practical advice and techniques 

 

However,

each child and adolescent is different with different abilities, resilience and presenting needs. If you feel that your child is struggling and may need therapy. You do not necessarily have to pay for therapeutic support. You can contact your local authority who should be able to provide the young person with the therapy they need 

​

In Leicester City support can be gained for

Looked after children and adolescents through the Children & Families Therapeutic Support Team either through your Childs Social Worker, or your Supporting Social Worker 

Post Adoption and SGO families can contact the Post Adoption / SGO Assessment & Therapeutic Support Team  Telephone - 0116 4546540 or Email - post-adoption-cfst-duty@leicester.gov.uk 

​

If your child was fostered or adopted through another Local Authority. However, you live in Leicester / Leicestershire. Then I can provide Play Therapy, Play & Creative Arts, EMDR, Mental Health support or Attachment therapy for your child, adolescent and or family with funding being provided by your Local Authority / Post Adoption Support Team / SGO team 

​