Family · Foster / Kinship
Foster Family First-90-Days Worksheet
Predictability, low expectations, trauma-informed limits
A child arriving in a foster home is usually mid-crisis. This sheet is a first-90-days scaffold: predictability, low expectations, trauma-informed limits, and repair-heavy interactions.
The four things we keep predictable
- Wake / sleep windows
- Meals and snacks (visible, unrestricted access to a safe food)
- One adult who does bedtime
- How discipline works (never physical, never withdrawal of food or contact)
Expectations to hold loosely for now
Trauma behaviors we're likely to see — and our planned response
Behavior
What it likely means
Our response
Connection before correction
Trauma-adapted kids need co-regulation before consequences. Repair after any hard moment, every time.