Creating Opportunities to Say “Yes!”

Trust is a critical building block for every relationship. In the first year of life, parents are constantly meeting needs as they feed, change, soothe and play. In each interaction, children get to hear their parents say, “Yes! I hear your cries and I’m here to meet your needs.” Though it looks different as kids get older, parents continue to meet needs as they host friends, pick kids up after extracurricular activities, help them navigate embarrassing situations and do the many other things parents are famous for. Foster parents also need to establish trust with children, so at PCHAS we use Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI) to prepare families and coach them as they help children heal. Through connection, parents teach children they are safe and loved; trust can be built.

Children of any age can enter foster care after experiencing abuse and/or neglect; today, most of these kids are school-aged. Foster families don’t have a way of knowing how many “yeses” children have heard in their life, so we guide them in building connections by creating opportunities to say “yes.” One practical way to do this is by making a Yes Jar. It’s simply a container of any shape, type or size filled with snacks, fidgets, stickers, toys, privileges and anything else of interest to the kids in the home that a family wants to include. Parents are always in control of what goes into the Yes Jar.

When a child asks for something from the Yes Jar with respect, the parents will always say yes. This helps children gain trust for their parents and hear, see and tangibly experience loving caregivers eager to meet their needs. And, Yes Jars aren’t just for kids in foster care. They’re a great way for every family to build trust and increase the number of “yeses” heard in their home.

There’s a huge need for families who will foster school-aged kids and siblings. While they may not need a diaper change in the middle of the night, the opportunities to connect and meet needs abound. To learn how you can be the safe, loving family they deserve, contact us at 281-324-0544 or fosteradopt@pchas.org or Join an Online Info Session.