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Preparing Children for Court, page 2

Part 2: In The Beginning

More of this Feature •Part 1: Introduction •Part 2: In The Beginning •Part 3: The Three Bs •CHAPTER II

• Start early. The preparation begins when the child first comes into your home.
  
  
• Observe the children. Look, listen, and learn from their behaviors and what they don't say as well as what they do. Foster parents should not prompt a child to talk about the abuse, but instead be supportive and good listeners. Pay attention if and when the child brings up the details.
  
  
• Keep a record. Take notes on things the children tell you and let their social worker know if it is new information or something different than you've been told. These [social workers] contacts should be on a regular basis. Let them know how the child is adjusting to foster care and in general, how he/she is doing. This information should also be made available to the child's Guardian-Ad-Litem (GAL - lawyer) if this is permissible within your system.
  
  
• Keep in touch with authorities. Make sure the prosecutor knows who you are and how to get in touch with you. In general, be available for those who need to talk with you.
  
  
• Pay attention. Children often have nicknames or their own words for things in their life. It may be a pet, an object or a part of their body. If you come to know what these names or words are, you may be able to "interpret" for others later on.
  
  Pay attention to the child's habits, games, or mannerisms. This information may be useful to a counselor, therapist or the prosecuting attorney. It can also be important to learn how the child makes him/herself comfortable. What subjects make the child shy or embarrassed?
  
  
• Provide a nurturing environment. Your child needs to know that they are not in foster care because of something they did, but because of something that someone did to them. Although many children will understand this on an intellectual level, there are just as many who will feel guilty and responsible for what they see as bad things happening to their family.

If the child is comfortable with the people they meet in the judicial process, they will be more likely to be truthful and suffer fewer fears when appearing in court.

Next page > The Three Bs > Page 1, 2, 3

© Emil Baldwin, Jr., LSW

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