Most people assume that it is easier to foster younger kids than to take on older kids who have had more years of trauma behind them. I believe that both have their challenges making them just different kinds of hard.

A large number of young children come in with drug exposer and neglect issues. This can cause them to cry more, have feeding issues, developmental delays, and/or troubles connecting with adult care givers. Trauma is real at any age and shows itself in different ways depending on the personality and coping skills of the child. You can see anything from no behaviors to challenging behaviors, no matter the age of a child. I was truly surprised at the kind and amount of behaviors we dealt with when we were placed with our first child, a 17 month old, because I held this same assumption that younger meant easier.

No matter the age, they all need love, patience, understanding, acceptance, and a feeling that they are valued just because of who they are, not because of what they do (whether positive or negative).

Thank you for your great question! If you have questions, send them to #youaskedfa or Kim@fosteraz.com