How to Help Your Foster Child Achieve Academic Success

Any child can find school stressful what with trying to handle homework, tests and making friends, but it can be especially difficult for foster children. Besides handling the normal challenges of the school year, your foster child also has to cope with the past and be worried about the future. The child’s attention can be distracted from education by this extra burden, resulting in difficulties throughout the school year. There are several things that you, as a foster parent, can do to help your foster child achieve academic success. 

Connecting with the School

How to Help Your Foster Child Achieve Academic Success

Building a good working relationship with your child’s teachers, school counselors and administrators will go a long way to helping your foster child achieve academic success. Let the staff know they can always contact you with any reports, complaints or questions. To be as effective as possible, this line of communication needs to flow in both directions. Informing the school staff that your foster child has been dealing with issues at home will allow them to be ready to help the child through it in school. You should let the school know about your child’s future visits with the biological parents so that teachers and counselors know the child can be upset or nervous at school. 

Helping with School Work

The end of the school day does not mean the academic support ends. You need continue supplying that support at home. Besides helping with homework and studies try to find other ways to continue teaching your foster child. It was reported that 64% of 17-year-old foster children have a reading ability at or under 8th grade level. Read books with your foster child at night to help the child catch up with classmates, and let the child read parts out loud. Doing so not only helps develop the ability to read but also builds confidence in situations of public speaking.Consult with your child and the teachers to reach achievable academic goals for the child throughout the entire school year. Keep your child motivated with constant encouragement along the way and celebrate every achievement. Raising a foster child does come with different challenges, but luckily there is help. As an agency, Kids First, Inc. is here to assist you in your calling. We bring training, support, and community to help our foster parents be the best parents they can be. Contact us today to start talking about how you can help these beautiful children.