Help Your Foster Children Set & Achieve Their Personal Goals

As the new year begins, many individuals nationwide are making resolutions and setting goals. This annual activity is not only for adults but also for teens, children, and families. Foster children, in particular, can greatly benefit from achieving personal goals. So, RISE Services, Inc. encourages you to begin setting valuable goals with your foster children. Keep reading to learn how.

Why Set Goals With Your Foster Children

Learning how to set goals is beneficial for anyone. For foster children, it can provide stability when much about their lives is not in their control. Along with giving them a sense of accomplishment, setting small, reasonable goals can provide the following benefits:

• Encourage an optimistic sense of well-being.
• Inspire them to make beneficial choices.
• Provide a secure and consistent home environment.
• Teach them essential life skills, like delayed gratification and resilience.

How to Set Goals with Your Foster Children

Setting goals with your foster children doesn’t have to be difficult. Make it a family activity and include all the children in your home. Since you may not be as familiar with your foster children’s likes and dislikes, ask them what they enjoy or would like to learn. In your conversations, ask questions like, “Do you enjoy cooking? What sports do you play? Are there hobbies or activities you enjoy?” Once you’ve narrowed down a few ideas, come up with a goal suitable for their age and, most importantly, fun for them. 

A Few Ideas to Get You Started

Use the ideas below as a starting point if you’re unsure where to begin. If you need to adjust them as you go, that is OK. The main point is to encourage the children in your care to set small, achievable goals. 

• Read a new book every month.
• Join a school or community club.
• Sign up for a new sport to play.
• Learn how to do laundry.
• Try a new recipe.
• Make dinner once a month for the family.
• Learn how to mow the lawn.
• Walk the family dog three times a week.
• Sign up for a dance or ballet class.

Ways to Encourage & Celebrate Their Accomplishments

As your foster children work toward their new goals, they may need encouragement occasionally.  It can be easy to give up if they’re having difficulty reaching their target. Using a chart with stickers or a dry-erase board may be beneficial to check off tasks. You can also search the app store for a goal-setting app for kids. Consider setting a reward appropriate for your child once they reach their goal. Accomplishing a goal they struggled to meet can boost their confidence and instill valuable life skills they can use in adulthood. 

While acquiring the skill of setting and accomplishing goals under your guidance is valuable, ideally, children should be able to pursue their goals even after departing from your care. Ensure the tools they employ to monitor their goals are portable and can accompany them beyond your home.

Supporting Foster Families in 2024

Be proud and celebrate your foster children’s accomplishments as they meet or exceed their new goals. RISE works with foster families nationwide and provides services such as foster care licensing, treatment foster care, respite care, professional behavior services, and more. To learn more, contact RISE today. 

Source: Borget, Jennifer. “Setting Goals for the First Time? Here Are 20 Ideas to Get Started.” Web article. Cherish360. Web. 07 Jan. 2024.