Darius' Foster Care Adventure is about a boy who was removed from his parent's home after they got in trouble. He is nervous as he goes to stay with a foster family, unsure about how he will be received and if his needs will be met. He slowly warms to the family and eventually feels like he is at home. He works through conflicting emotions, grieving the loss of his parents, feeling torn about where he belongs, and confusion and anger regarding his parent's absence.
The game allows children to communicate their own experiences with foster care, adoption, or guardianship. Each situation is unique, as some children still get visits with parents and others have no contact. Some live with family members, while others are placed in a foster home. The book provides a story that they may relate to on some level but opens the discussion for the differences as well.
This game addresses feelings of grief and loss, abandonment, and worries about family. It also allows children to process the loss of all that is normal including their home, friends, extended family, and family traditions and expectations. Foster families typically have different ways of living, communication styles, rules, and sometimes a completely different cultures. This resource helps validate feelings of loss, confusion, and concern about these issues. The longer a child is in foster care the more bonded they will usually become to their foster family. Fear of loss and worries about the future is normal. Most kids have mixed feelings, desiring to have a connection to their biological family as well as the new love they feel for their foster family.
On the contrary, some kids will have other reactions. Some children want nothing to do with their biological family and will strongly reject the idea of reunification. Sometimes reunification is forced by the courts despite the child's feelings. Some children reject the connection with their foster family and deeply desire to go home to their parents. This could happen for many reasons. The book and game can help open the door to discussion and exploration of these issues.
This resource can be used in individual, group, or family counseling sessions or could be played at home. It offers ideas for how to process changes and communicate various emotions. It was designed to be used for children in elementary school, ages 5-12.
You will receive a PDF document with instructions for how to access the Google Slides file. When you click on the link, it will have you save a copy to your Google Slides drive. The first section of the document will have the book with a quick link down to the game.
A hard copy version of this resource is also available.