Justin is a 15-year-old boy in Wisconsin Foster Care. We received a referral for the teenager last week and sadly did not have a foster home for him. Subsequently, the referring county foster agency was left scrambling to locate an appropriate home. Based on the information below, would you become a foster parent to care for a child like Justin? 
Justin can be like any other teenage boy. He is adventurous, creative, and witty. Despite what might be expected, he does not use his trauma as an excuse for behavioral issues. Justin is a sophomore in high school and is behind in most subjects. He dislikes school work and struggles to complete his work on time. There have been no reports of behavioral issues at school.
During visits with his family, he is easily annoyed with younger siblings, becoming verbally aggressive. When his mom or older brother intervene, he can become physically aggressive. This was a consistent pattern when Justin was living at home with his family.
The entire family struggles with mental health issues and PTSD. Justin reports his family home can be chaotic and overwhelming. Thus, he would like a foster home that is laid back yet has some structure. Above all, he hopes to have foster parents that are calm and don't yell too much. He feels that nobody listens to him or cares what he thinks.
It should be noted, he can become irritated when he feels unheard. For the most part, Justin is not aggressive outside of his home environment and does well in settings when one on one. Given the pattern of aggression within his family, it would be best if he were not placed in a foster home with younger children.
There is a strong need for Justin to receive nurturance and support to feel wanted. Coming from a large family, he feels lost and unwanted in the chaos.
Justin can be caring, polite, helpful, and considerate of others. He does not mind helping with household chores and is eager to learn new things. He recognizes anger management is a struggle for him at times and is open to trying new methods to control his anger. He enjoys family pets and participates in the daily care of animals. He says that his foster parents can count on him to be kind to their animals.
Justin has been diagnosed with the following:
There has been physical and emotional abuse in addition to the witness of violence in his family and community. With structure, patience, and a calm home environment Justin has enormous potential to heal from his trauma. He is currently receiving mental health services.
CCR was unable to place Justin in an appropriate foster home within a reasonable radius of his biological family to accommodate weekly visits. Without a doubt, we need foster homes in every corner of Wisconsin so kids like Justin can be placed in a loving, healing home.
No matter what county you live in, we need you to consider fostering older kids. It remains the greatest need in Wisconsin foster care. Please contact us to explore how to become a foster parent.
