Getting to know the kids in Wisconsin foster care begins with understanding why children are removed from their homes in the first place. The seriousness of abuse and neglect and the lasting impact it has on a developing child cannot be overstated.

Reasons why kids enter Wisconsin Foster Care

Neglect

Physical neglect happens when children don’t have adequate food, clothing, shelter, or supervision.

Medical neglect occurs when parents don’t provide needed medical or mental health treatment.

Educational neglect includes failing to enroll children in school or ignoring chronic absences.

Abuse

Physical abuse may involve unexplained injuries, repeated hospital visits, or harm that doesn’t match the story provided.

Sexual abuse includes molestation, exploitation, or any sexual activity with a child.

Emotional abuse includes ongoing threats, humiliation, or verbal attacks that harm a child’s mental health.

Substance Abuse

When parents struggle with drugs or alcohol, children may not be cared for safely. Sometimes, infants test positive for substances at birth, or children may live in homes where drugs are used or even manufactured. These situations put kids at significant risk and often lead to removal.

Domestic Violence

Living in a home where domestic violence occurs can be highly traumatic. If children are consistently exposed to violence or danger, it can affect their development and their ability to feel safe in any situation.

Abandonment

If a parent leaves a child without arranging care or fails to maintain contact and support, the state may consider it abandonment. Children in these situations need safe and reliable caregivers immediately.

Incarceration of a Parent

When a parent goes to jail and no trusted adult can be located to step in, a child may be placed in foster care.

Mental Health Concerns

Parents struggling with untreated or severe mental health issues may not be able to provide a safe environment. In cases where children are exposed to suicidal or violent behavior, intervention becomes necessary.

Unsafe Living Conditions

Sometimes, the home itself is hazardous — unsafe wiring, infestations, inadequate heating, sewage problems, or even loaded firearms left within reach. When these dangers put a child at imminent risk, removal often takes place.

The Hidden Impact on Wisconsin Kids in Foster Care.

To be a foster parent at CCR, it is critical to understand what trauma does to a child's developing brain and why they respond the way they do. Why do they struggle in school? Why can't they get over what happened to them? This trauma can show up in many ways:

• Development: Children may struggle to hit milestones, have gaps in learning, or fall behind in school.
• Emotions: Fear, anxiety, anger, grief, and guilt are common. Children may blame themselves for being removed.
• Behaviors: Trauma often shows up as “acting out.” Kids may test boundaries, withdraw, cling, or show aggression. These behaviors are coping strategies, not signs of “bad kids.”
• Mental Health: Depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, and attachment disorders are frequent among children entering foster care.

For foster parents, it’s essential to recognize that these challenges are not the child’s fault. They are direct results of the unsafe environments and the losses the child has endured.

The bigger picture of kids in foster care

Caring for a child who has experienced trauma is not the same as caring for a child who hasn’t. CCR foster parents are asked to do much more than provide meals and a place to sleep. Children in foster care need caregivers who can:

• Be flexible. Trauma doesn’t follow a schedule. A child may need extra appointments for therapy, school meetings, medical care, or unexpected crises. Having a flexible schedule allows foster parents to meet those needs.
• Show patience. Healing takes time. Children may push boundaries, regress, or test whether you’ll really stay. They need steady, calm responses more than punishment.
• Build a support system. Parenting a child with trauma can be emotionally heavy. CCR foster parents thrive when they have friends, family, support groups, or faith communities to lean on.

It is hard work — but it can also be incredibly rewarding as children slowly learn to feel safe and loved.

We desperately need more homes across Wisconsin for kids ages 5-18 and siblings. When you're ready to learn more, we would love to talk with you.