Wisconsin Foster Parents Celebrate with Trans Youth

Wisconsin foster parents witness amazing transformations with their kids. Foster youth can enter the home one way, do a 180 and leave a completely different way. Not always, but quite often. So much can happen for youth if placed in the right foster home with the right foster parents. Confidence builds. Grades go up. Friends are made. Diplomas are earned. College scholarships are given. For Chase, ALL of the above happened. In less than eight months, the life of this fantastic young man changed dramatically. Read his story in his own words.

Wisconsin foster parents welcome their first foster youth.

I got placed at Rick and Dan's house in November 2021. I was coming from a rough home up north. I was nervous and worried about how they would react to me and if they were going to judge me, but they did the exact opposite of that. I walked into their house, shy and nervous. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with Dan standing by the kitchen and my social worker right next to me speaking for me. I couldn't even get myself to look at Dan, let alone talk to him.

All I knew was that I was a 17-year-old Transgender male with severe mental health issues. I was moving to a brand new town and going into a new foster home, not knowing what to expect. This was going to be my 9th foster home and hopefully my last. I didn't want to get my hopes up and be let down. I remember my social worker leaving about an hour later, leaving me sitting there by myself, scared and 5 hours away from the town I grew up. She left me with two adult men and a little boy. I had no idea what I was getting into. I entered that home prepared for them to give up on me as every other foster home had.

Foster kids crave and need support and acceptance.

Dan and Rick are two of the most supportive people I have been with. They are supportive, accepting, understanding, and loving. I can't say we have perfect father-son relationships. We have arguments, and we disagree sometimes, but we talk about them and work through the issues instead of giving up on each other.

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When I am having a bad day at school, I will text them in our group chat, and they make me smile or remind me that I can get through it. When I have flashbacks because of my trauma, they will sit with me and make sure I am okay and safely get out of the flashback.

They support me and my decisions with transitioning to become my true self. They help me with school and doing homework. There are times that Dan has sat with me at the kitchen table for hours, working with me to understand my math homework. He is so patient with me.

Roughly 10% of foster youth go on to college.

I am going to college because they had faith in me and helped me get to the point where I am graduating and going off to college in the fall. I will be staying with them while I work on getting my associate's degree at UW Baraboo. When I move down to Platteville to get my master's degree in Behavioral Health, I will live in my own apartment, but I will still come up for holidays and breaks. Even though I have only been with them for a little over eight months, they are my biggest blessings. They filled the empty space I had in my heart. I never really got the chance to have a family, and they gave me that.

Ash

Here I am, part of their family. I took their last name, and they are my dads and my little brother. I couldn't be more grateful for them.

AND what Chase did not tell everyone is that he was awarded a $16,000 college scholarship!!!

CCR foster parents continue to be there for ALL youth.

As a treatment foster care agency, we strive to place youth with a family we feel has the best opportunity for success. Growth and healing is our focus. The CCR staff could not be more proud of Rick and Dan and the love and acceptance they have shown Chase. We always say that "meeting kids where they are at" is so important when being a foster parent. These men did that and so much more!

Shocking statistics for LGBTQ+ kids in foster care.

LGBTQ+ youth enter foster care for reasons like other children and youth. Their birth families often cannot provide a safe, stable, and nurturing home. In some cases, families reject, neglect, or abuse young people when they learn that they identify as LGBTQ+.

LGBTQ+ youth are overrepresented in foster care, even though they are likely to be underreported because they risk harassment and abuse if their LGBTQ+ identity is disclosed. Studies have found that about 30 percent of youth in foster care identify as LGBTQ+ and 5 percent as transgender, compared to 10 percent and 1 percent of youth not in foster care.

Unfortunately, many LGBTQ+ youth continue to experience verbal harassment or physical violence after they are placed in a foster home due to conflicts related to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Chase was placed in EIGHT FOSTER HOMES before landing safely with Dan and Rick. Imagine the homes and the struggle to be accepted, loved, and welcomed.

If you or anyone you know is interested to become a foster parent, please contact us. We can't wait to talk with you.

 

WI Foster Parent Training – Diversity is Welcome

Foster parent training classes are required and critical to gaining the tools necessary to be a successful Wisconsin foster parent. Training is designed to be informative, engaging, and thought-provoking. Most importantly, our foster parent training teaches trauma-informed parenting skills. New CCR foster parents come from counties across Wisconsin with diverse backgrounds to learn and prepare themselves to welcome kids with trauma histories into their homes. Training is where the foster care journey begins to feel real.Ready to be a foster parent

Foster parent training is important, even if you have parented.

CCR offers new foster parent training opportunities 5-6 times each year. The curriculum allows for each prospective foster parent to participate at a level they are comfortable with. Sharing is encouraged, questions are welcome, and participation almost always increases as training continues, creating an open, honest learning environment for everyone. Because each class represents a diverse group, attendees quickly realize that learning from the experiences of others is just as important as learning from the class presenters.foster parent training video

A typical training consists of 10-12 people from counties all over the state of Wisconsin. Our most recent class came from the following counties:

"We weren't sure at first if we would have what it takes to foster. After speaking with Jane, she made us so comfortable, answered our questions and gave us so much information. It just felt right. "

Many cultures, lifestyles, family make-up, and experiences are represented in foster parent training.

Many prospective foster parents are married couples, and some are single foster parents. In addition, LGBT foster parents and previously retired foster parents who have decided to give fostering another go are in attendance. It is through this diversity that classroom engagement exists. If foster care requirements are met, CCR welcomes all adults over 25 years old to apply and begin the steps to become a foster parent.

Diversity among the group means we can serve a diverse population of kids.

This was a recent group; the diversity was fantastic:

"I grew up in foster care and was adopted. I feel like I know what they might be going through or at least I know how I felt when I was in their shoes." 

Most classes have similar characteristics and family structures, thus creating great dialog and participation among each prospective foster parent. However, if you are exploring becoming a foster parent, please know that one size does not fit all. No matter your background, race, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, culture, etc., CCR would love to speak with you about treatment level foster care and what it might look like for you and your family.

We welcome everyone to explore our foster care frequently asked questions page and find answers to most of the questions you are looking for. We then welcome your phone call or email to inquire further and get more details on fostering children with significant trauma.

Please call us at 800-799-0450

 

GET YOUR FOSTER LICENSE IN 100 DAYS! Homes for kids 10-18 are desperately needed.