KANSAS: Children who enter foster care are often disconnected from everything they know – their homes, siblings, friends, schools, teachers, neighbors, and the church community. These separations can be as traumatic as the conditions from which they are being removed. Investigating a child’s supportive relationships can lessen the extent of disruption and provide them with an anchor to familiarity. The difference between finding a bed for the night and finding supportive relationships can alter the trajectory of a child’s life.
Fortunately, when Liliana, Lori, and Jared* recently entered foster care, their family- finding professionals understood the critical importance of maintaining connections. All three children excelled in school; therefore, this community became the center of her search. Through the Connect Our Kids technology platform, two non-relative kin placements within the school community were identified. Liliana now lives in a home with a trusted school friend, while Lori and Jared live in another home nearby. Efforts are still underway to find and engage relatives. In the meantime, the children will remain living close to one another. Both Lori and Jared keep in touch daily with their older sister, Liliana, and visit her regularly. Splitting up siblings is never ideal, but maintaining connections to school and one another maintains critical connections for resilience.
Connect Our Kids is a non-profit dedicated to leveraging technology to find families, build connections, and create a community for children in the foster care system. Want to help more children like Liliana, Lori, and Jared? You can today by donating HERE.
*Name has been changed to protect privacy.
