10 Ways Teachers Can Help Students from Foster Care

For eight hours a day or more, and for five days a week for much of a calendar year, a foster child will spend his time in school. Indeed, children in foster care will most likely spend more of their time each day with teachers than they will with their foster parents. Many children foster children would rather be any place else other than in school; as it is a constant reminder that they are just that, a foster child. Yet, teachers and school employees have the opportunity to help foster children in a unique and positive manner. Here are the top 10 things every teacher should understand about children in foster care.

1. School is the Last Place the Child Wants to Attend

Many teachers expect good grades and school performance to be a priority in the lives of the majority of their students. Yet, for children in foster care, school is not a priority, and is not a focus. Instead, the main focus and priority for many of student who are placed into foster homes is that of survival; survival from moving from home to home, survival from the abuse and neglect they may have faced in their lives, survival from living apart from their other family members, and survival from moving from school to school.

2. There will be Issues of Trust