There is a widespread literary crisis impacting the reading proficiency and comprehension skills among our youth. Recent data has shown that 60-70% of U.S. students are reading below grade level by the time they reach 4th and 8th grade. Only 1 in 3 children in foster care are reading at grade level by the time they reach third grade. It isn't that these children aren't as intelligent as their peers, it just means that they have lacked the stability that the rest of their peers have had.

School can be challenging for foster care youth. Each time they have a placement change, they can lose weeks, or even months of instruction. Every school moves at a different pace, and moving into different classes can be incredibly challenging for these children. Frequent school transfers can disrupt records for children, as well as their relationships with teachers who understood them. Trauma can have a major impact on focus, and memory for children which can make staying at the same pace as their peers challenging.

If you are a foster parent, and you are struggling to help your child get ahead, or catch up like their peers, that is not a reflection of your parenting, or of them. Stability matters so much more than perfection, and a stable home may just be exactly what a child who is falling behind needs to catch back up. You don't need a teaching degree to help a child. All you need to do is remain consistent, and help your child as needed. This may look like helping with homework, 15 minutes of reading aloud together a day, or even talking to your caseworker about tutoring resources that are available for your foster child.

Right now, there are a lot of resources right at your finger tips! Local libraries offer free books, craft times, story times, and many even offer tutoring or homework help programs. In addition to this, having a library card may unlock an app called, 'Libby'! This app has free eBooks, and audiobooks that you can check out with your library card. This is great for children who may be behind, but feel embarrassed to be seen with books that are too 'easy' for their age. Many PA libraries also loan structured literary sets, such as Hooked on Phonics for children who need them.

You aren't failing as a parent. You are the stability that makes catching up possible for a child who has been in foster care. If you are sitting on the fence, and you are worried that you wouldn't be able to help a child get ahead in their work, that is normal. It is completely normal to hesitate and worry about whether or not you are what a child needs, but that stability is exactly what a child is looking for.

If you want to become a foster parent, get in touch with LifeSpan Family Services today. You can get all of your questions answered today - completely free, no pressure and no commitment required.

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