How To Create A Safe And Stable Home Environment For Foster Teens
May 15, 2020
What Does It Take To Parent A Foster Teen And Is It Right For You?
June 12, 2020
When fostering a teenager in your home, providing a space for a comfortable, inviting bedroom is key. Teenagers enjoy their privacy and want a space that matches their identity. Here are some ways to ensure your foster teen has a comfortable living space in your home that they can call their own.
Keep things basic.
Most of the time, you will only know the age and gender of a child before they arrive. This can make it tricky to personalize a space without first knowing the person. Start by choosing a neutral color to paint the walls and then add bedding that is simple. Once your foster child arrives, you can get to know them and make a plan for additional decor. Better yet, let your foster teen be involved in designing their own bedroom.
Add warm touches.
Even if their bedroom starts off generic, you will want to make sure your foster teen feels comfortable in his or her new space. Make sure the room is freshly dusted and vacuumed before they arrive. In addition to cozy pillows and blankets, curtains and an area rug can also help to add a warm touch to an otherwise bland space.
While every teenager needs a bed, there are other things to remember to include in their space, such as a bedside table and dresser. Consider a desk and chair, so that they have a quiet place to complete homework. Other possible furnishings may include a bookshelf or wall shelf to display some of the items they bring with them or a framed cork board for adding pictures.
Prioritize safety.
While you do not need to babyproof a teenager’s room, you still want to make sure the room is free of any potentially dangerous objects. If the space was a semi-storage room in the past, clean everything out to donate or store elsewhere in the home. Remove any clutter that could cause a problem, such as extra cleaning supplies or chemicals. Make sure that your space is designated specifically for your foster teen in a clean and safe manner.
Work together.
Once your teenager has settled in, sit down and create a list as to what you could do to help personalize their space. Invite your foster teen to shop with you for lamps, fun throw pillows, a poster or two, or an interesting piece of art they wish to place above their bed. Your foster teen will feel more included in the process if you let them make decorative decisions (within budget, of course).
To learn more about creating a comfortable space for foster children of all ages, read How to Make Your Foster Child’s Bedroom A Happy Place To Be.
Every child needs and deserves to grow up safe and protected from abuse and neglect, and caring foster parents offer children support and stability when they need it most. At Camelot Care Centers, we specialize in higher-level foster care for children and adolescents that need extra support. We partner with our foster parents/homes to provide trauma informed care and additional services, including in-home counseling, parent support and training, tele-psychiatry, and therapeutic mentoring, to maintain children at the least restrictive, yet most appropriate level of care. Camelot Care Centers (“Camelot”) is a Child Welfare Agency
