Every child in foster care and adoption has experienced trauma—often abuse and neglect, but at a minimum, separation from their birth family. In recent years, we’ve learned that the trauma children experience can have serious, even lifelong, effects.
Ongoing trauma can affect children’s ability to concentrate, control their emotions, respond to conflict, develop healthy relationships, and interpret social cues. Children who have experienced serious trauma can be extra vigilant and physically reactive, both of which take a physical and emotional toll.
Many children develop behaviors as a result of their trauma exposure that can make life more challenging for them and for their families. The good news is that there is hope. Informed parents who used trauma-informed parenting techniques can help their children heal and reduce the effects of trauma.
Read NACAC Articles About Childhood Trauma:
- Supporting Maltreated Children: Countering the Effects of Neglect and Abuse
- The 3-5-7 Model—Helping Children Work Through Grief
- Therapy Plays an Important Role in Adoptive Families’ Lives
View NACAC Webinars About Trauma:
- Helping Children Manage Feelings and Behaviors Webinar
- Parenting the Hurt Child Webinar
- The Teen Years: Brain Development, Impact of Trauma on Growth, and Parenting Strategies Webinar
- “I’ll Tell Them When They’re Older Because…” Talking to Children about Their History Webinar
- Helping Children Heal from Trauma: What Parents and Caregivers Need to Know Webinar