Family Support Services help children, parents in Colorado who've experienced foster care
Raise the Future has been finding permanent homes for children living in foster care for more than 40 years, but the work isn't over when permanency is found. In some cases the work is just beginning, that's why Raise the Future added Family Support to the list of services it provides.
Raise the Future is the leader in trust based relational intervention, or TBRI, training and practice. It also offers connection groups so families can network over similar experiences. In home coaching offers varying level of support including connecting to resources, supporting the family and hands-on guidance in implementing TBRI strategies in their home.
Corinna and Doug adopted 3 siblings out of foster care. Ayla was two, Katy was 1, and Harv was just weeks old. That was eight years ago, the children are now 10, 9, and 8 years old.
"These are three absolutely precious, delightful, unique children full of really cool gifts that they're going to bless the world with," Corinna said.
"We, in one day, went from no kids to three babies," Doug recalled.
Three babies with trauma backgrounds.
"You can study all you like about trauma, but each child is unique in how it effects their brain and their body and their personality," Corinna explained.
The couple set about building a team to help as the kids developed including a psychologist, teachers, school staff, and Scott Lindmeier, a family support practitioner with Raise the Future.
"I come into family's homes and support them in a lot of different ways," Lindmeier explained.
Lindmeier met with the whole family regularly for several years.
"It's a really big thing for kids especially because you're coming into their space," Lindmeier said.
He brought advice and exercises born in TBRI.
"Like there was one with Band-Aids, where we would put Band-Aids on each other's hurts, so practice taking care of each other," Doug recounted.
"It's so helpful to have someone outside the family introduce these things and, you know, sort of reenforce what we do as well," Corinna added.
"It's all about the connection," Lindmeier confirmed.
Connecting parents with strategies, connecting kids with life skills, connecting families with each other to create a stronger future.
"Anytime you have encouragement it helps you feel not so alone because it's quite an unfamiliar parental journey," Corinna said.
LINK: Wednesday's Child on CBS Colorado
Foster parents, kinship and adoptive families can get help through the Family Support Services offered by Raise the Future. For more information about those services call (303) 755-4756 or (800) 451-5246 or go to the Raise the Future website.
