School can unintentionally be a minefield for children impacted by adoption, foster care, or kinship care. A few of the issues that adoptive, foster, or kinship families may face include:

• Language used to talk about adoption, foster care, relative care, and birth families.
• What, who, and when to talk with school personnel about your child’s history and how it impacts learning.
• Traditional assignments such as family trees, baby pictures, and genetics lessons.
• Learning challenges caused by prenatal substance exposure, early childhood trauma, or interrupted education.
• Incomplete grade-level progress caused by multiple placements or changes in districts or buildings within the district.
• Issues of race, culture, and ethnicity and blended families.

Of course, the children may struggle with far more than the issues listed here. Parents and caregivers might also face the challenge of understanding their roles and rights in advocating for their children. Understanding how trauma and prenatal substance exposure impact a child’s educational experience and preparing yourself for the challenges is a crucial tool in navigating school issues. In addition to the annual Back to School resource campaign we offer each summer, CreatingaFamily.org has many resources to help you handle these sticky issues all school year long.