Resources For You: Helping a Child’s Garden Grow

Carmina Garciadealba, who’ll be facilitating a workshop on the topic of normalcy at our 2026 Vermont Caregiver Connections Conference, wears many hats. She is a Foster Caregiver Recruitment and Retention Specialist; has worked as a trainer and coach for kin, foster, and adoptive caregivers for many years; and is herself a fictive kinship caregiver. I recently asked her to share some thoughts and resources that could help you support the children and youth in your lives—things that will help you help them to flourish.   

A movie you might want to watch:

A movie that people frequently ask me about is Instant Family.  Although it isn’t an exact depiction of Vermont’s foster care system, it gives an idea of the challenges, hopes, and possible outcomes we see in the system.  It’s been a great conversation starter.  Similarly, the show, The Fosters.  

A Podcast you might find helpful:

The Social Work Lens: https://vermontcwtp.org/ (scroll down and you’ll see the full list of podcast episodes on the left of this page)

A powerful TED talk:

How Childhood Trauma Affects Health Across a Lifetime https://www.ted.com/speakers/nadine_burke_harris_1

A book Carmina recommends:

As far as books, a favorite regarding kinship care is Hey Kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka.  I’ve been a part of a few book clubs who read and reflected on this book.  It’s a graphic novel, and although that’s not my favorite format for a book, I really enjoyed this one, and it covers the unique complexities of kinship care very well.

She also suggests you check out these books:

The Yes Brain:  https://drdansiegel.com/books/

The Power of Showing Up: https://drdansiegel.com/books/

Parenting From the Inside Out: https://www.bdperry.com/books

What Happened to You?: https://www.bdperry.com/books

Now I Am Known (this book was written by our 2024 keynote speaker, Peter Mutabazi): https://petermutabazi.com/

What Carmina has noticed since Policy 75 has helped to make the lives of children and youth feel as normal to them as possible:

Since making healthy approaches to normalcy, I’ve seen kids’ perceptions and abilities change over the years in a few ways.  One of the most recognizable changes is the timeliness in which they can participate in normal activities.  They no longer have to wait for their Family Services Worker’s signature–instead, their foster caregiver can sign a permission slip for them to attend a field trip or school program, and they aren’t waiting until the last minute wondering if they’ll be able to attend.  It has helped reduce anxiety around normal activities–children and youth no longer, or less frequently, have to explain to teachers or peers why their form isn’t signed yet or share whose signature they’re waiting on.  What was once embarrassing and nerve-wracking is now simpler and more streamlined.

Learn more from Carmina at our conference! Registration is open till April 27^th.