Foster Care Training

This course offers a focused look at how grief shows up in the early stages following significant loss or removal, specifically for youth in foster care. Participants will explore the first three months of grief through a trauma-informed lens, identifying ways grief can be masked, delayed, or misread as defiance or disinterest. We will examine cultural, developmental, and systemic factors that shape early grief responses, and practice tools that support recognition, language, and connection during this critical window. Participants will engage with interactive reflection, narrative prompts, and relational strategies designed for practical use with youth navigating disrupted placements or sudden loss. The training also includes creative activities that help channel fear and anger into expressive, reflective outlets, offering participants tools they can adapt across age groups. We’ll also discuss how grief doesn’t always look quiet or “serious” youth often need permission to express grief through humor, messiness, and movement, and adults must be willing to meet them there.