“Between the ages of 9 and 11, Makeba was placed in seven different foster homes, and five schools. As she put it, ‘When we go to a new house, foster care kids don’t unpack our bags. ‘Cause we are so used to moving all the time’” (personal communication, September 27, 2017) (Goodman, 112)
This quote in particular stood out to me because it shows how children at that young age are already so traumatized and affected by their circumstances that they already have figured out little ways of coping. When we go through trauma, our brains can shut down or repress memories in order to protect us, and in this case, the foster children had their usual routine which was meant for them to protect themselves, whether they realized it or not. They don’t even want to feel “at home” with any of these foster families because they already realize how temporary it is. To go through seven different homes of unfamiliar families and five schools in a two year period, during critical years of development, is something I could not imagine or ever understand experiencing. I agree that the system has and continues to fail our children by giving them more trauma and less stability than they had to begin with.
Hi Cat!
I agree what you stated the “They don’t even want to feel “at home” with any of these foster families because they already realize how temporary it is.” Standing on the foster children’ perspective, maybe they cannot tell the difference between the biological parents and the parents who adopted them, however, they can feel that the attitude the stepparents have is different from the biological parents. I have been taught some orphans when I was in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The students I had were all orphans and I could tell how different life they have compared to the life I have. Another obvious feature I can find out is that orphans and foster children are difficult to believe other people, and I think maybe that is why “They don’t even want to feel ‘at home’.