Self-Care for Foster Parents & Caregivers

Presented by: Juliette Cole, LPC

The training will explore six domains of self-care—physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and practical—and introduced evidence-informed self-regulation, boundary-setting, and coping strategies for both daily routines and crisis situations. Participants will develop individualized self-care plans and identify available support systems, including respite care and peer support. Emphasis will be placed on increasing caregiver resilience, sustaining long-term placements, and improving overall well-being to enhance the quality of care provided to children in foster placements.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

1. Identify common sources of stress, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress experienced by foster parents and caregivers.
2. Recognize personal warning signs of caregiver fatigue and emotional overload related to foster care responsibilities.
3. Differentiate between self-care myths and effective self-care practices specific to the foster care experience.
4. Describe at least six areas of self-care (physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and practical) and how each supports caregiver well-being.
5. Apply practical self-regulation and coping strategies to manage stress in both daily routines and crisis situations.
6. Demonstrate the importance of healthy boundaries in sustaining long-term foster care placements and caregiver wellness.
7. Develop a personalized self-care plan that includes daily, weekly, and emergency strategies tailored to individual needs and circumstances.
8. Identify support systems and resources available to foster caregivers, including respite care and peer support.
9. Increase confidence in prioritizing self-care without guilt, recognizing it as a necessary component of effective caregiving and committing to at least one actionable self-care step to implement following the training.