4 Ways to Help Foster Children Feel Included During the Holidays

At RISE Services, Inc. Arizona, we are grateful for the foster families who provide loving and secure homes for Arizona children. With the upcoming holiday season, it’s important to help foster children feel included in your family’s holiday celebrations. But how do you do that? We will be answering that question by sharing four different ways you can help your foster child feel included this holiday season.

1. Acknowledge Feelings & Triggers

While holidays might have been a special time for you and your family, it’s quite likely your foster child had a vastly different experience. Living in a foster home and being apart from their biological family during Christmas can intensify emotional triggers and challenging feelings. Acknowledging their feelings and being mindful of triggers displays genuine care and love and helps your foster child have a fun holiday experience.

2. Ask How They Celebrate Holidays

Another way to help foster children feel included is to learn about their holiday celebrations and traditions. If their family made homemade decorations, plan an afternoon where the entire foster family can create holiday decorations together. If they attended the local Christmas parade each year, add this event to your holiday calendar. This is a meaningful way to help your foster child feel wanted and included this time of year.

3. Accept Them as Members of Your Family

It’s essential to remember that your foster child is now a member of your nuclear family. As a foster parent, this may not always be easy. Regardless, it doesn’t take much to make them feel loved and accepted by your family. This is why it’s important to celebrate some of your foster child’s special holiday traditions and acknowledge their frustrations, confusion, and other feelings surrounding this time of year.

4. Make Space & Give Grace

Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays can bring up past emotional hurts that manifest as unhealthy behaviors or emotional reactions. You may not understand what they’re going through, but it’s crucial that they understand your home is a safe place for them to process what they are going through. Provide the space they need when they’re overwhelmed with fears, worries, and questions. Listen with grace as they share these fears and worries with you. They are now looking to you to provide the unconditional love and support they desperately need.

Support Foster Children & Families This Holiday Season

Learn more about our foster care services and licensing process by contacting RISE Arizona today. There are several ways you can support foster families in Arizona beyond becoming licensed as a foster parent. We are happy to share how you can help foster children this time of year and all year long when you call.

“Celebrating the Holidays In Foster Care: A Guest Post,” Creating A Family (blog), November 11, 2021.