Virginia's Kids Belong

Parades, concerts, parties, and fireworks! We love celebrating the 4th of July. While cooking hot dogs around the campfire, chasing glow bugs after dark, and sitting on a blanket oohing and awing at the fireworks might seem like the perfect way to celebrate, kids dealing with past traumas may see things differently. For youth who have experienced the physical and emotional trauma of a shooting or negative experiences with fire, loud noises, and bright lights (like police cars), big celebrations often bring out their survival instincts and aggressive behaviors. The body never forgets the traumatic experience but through patience and support youth can learn to manage these physical and emotional symptoms. Remember ALWAYS to consider your child's whole story when making your plans...their real life past, their culture, their beliefs about the world (whether accurate or not), and the possible sensory triggers that may come up.  Meeting your child right where they are allows you to make memories and have joy and peace at the same time that you are helping your child heal. It makes life so much more doable! Families celebrate. It's part of being a member of the group. It's part of feeling loved and included. It is really important that we find a way that our children can have that kind of experience. That's where healing happens. Helping Youth to Cope with 4th of July Celebrations After a Shooting https://lnkd.in/eR6NevXG is a great fact sheet recognizing the symptoms and coping with the effects of trauma. #july4thfun #triggers #fireworks #trauma #thisisfostercare #traumaaware #brighterfuturesVKB #empoweringtheirfuturesVKB

Need some inspiration on what to do with your kids tonight? Celebrate National Popcorn Day and snuggle together to watch a movie. Impact on a kid in foster care...priceless!

Team VKB is growing! We have two new positions currently available. Southwest Community Engagement Manager Position Our work is Southwest VA is expanding and we are looking for a new Community Engagement Manager to join our team. This position will interact with our business, faith, and government communities as we continue to grow our support network for foster, kinship and adoptive families in this region. This is a virtual full-time position with some travel and in-person meetings required. Family Recruitment Specialist This position will help recruit potential foster families, support active foster and kinship families, and bridge the gaps between kids in our I Belong Project and potential adoptive families throughout the Commonwealth. This is a hybrid part-time position based out of our Richmond office with some local travel required. For more information about either of these positions please DM us your email address and which position description you would like or email us directly at connect@vakidsbelong.org. Interviews are currently being scheduled with a potential hire date of Feb 1 so let us know if you are interested!