Helping children heal from abuse or neglect is rewarding but hard. Like the children in their care, kin and foster parents need to find ways of experiencing strong feelings without becoming overwhelmed. They must also take care of themselves — physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually.

You can’t give away what you don’t have. You can’t provide support, nurturing and compassion until you learn how to take care of yourself.

Key elements of self-care include:

  1. Physical self-care (e.g. diet and exercise)
  2. Psychological self-care (e.g. reflection and curiosity)
  3. Emotional self-care, (e.g. friends and recreation)
  4. Spiritual self-care (e.g. prayer and meditation)
  5. Workplace self-care (e.g. breaks and workload)

Read the full article on self-care at The Annie E. Casey Foundation