Impact of Prenatal Exposure on Foster/Kinship Children
Many foster parents find that the foster or kinship children they welcome to their homes have a history of exposure during pregnancy to alcohol, methamphetamines, marijuana, heroin, crack, oxycodone, prescription drugs, or other drugs. Alcohol and drugs can cause brain damage in a developing fetus, and foster parents must understand the potential impacts of prenatal exposure to these substances.
Sometimes the circumstances of the child’s entry to the foster care system make it impossible for a foster parent to have full access to the child’s complete medical history, including the child’s specific prenatal exposure. It’s important to glean what information they can from the child’s caseworkers. But without specifics, there are many resources Creating a Family can offer to educate foster parents on the effects of prenatal exposure and parenting children exposed to alcohol and drugs in utero.
Creating a Family has many resources to help you understand the Impact of Prenatal Exposure on Foster Children. Some of the most recent resources are here:
- Prenatal Exposure, Part 1: Parenting Babies through Elementary Ages (article)
- Prenatal Exposure, Part 2: Parenting Tweens and Teens (article)
- Supporting a Child Who Struggles with Executive Function and Organizational Skills (article)
- Prenatal Exposure: Diagnosing and Treatment (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
- Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure (Part 1): Practical Tips (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
- Parenting Kids with Prenatal Exposure (Part 2): Transitioning Into Adolescence and Adulthood (1 hr. podcast w/ expert)
- Myths of Prenatal Alcohol and Drug Exposure (infographic)
Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the many additional resources about the Impact of Prenatal Exposure on Foster Children that we have in the form of blogs, radio shows/podcasts, tip sheets, fact sheets, and expert Q & A’s.
Additional Resources
