Trauma Informed Parenting Cards, Challenging Behavior Support for Foster Parents, Foster Care and Adoptive Parent Printable

Trauma informed parenting cards that help you understand what a child's behavior may be communicating, and what to try in the moment instead of reacting.

Behaviors That Communicate is a printable quick reference set for foster parents, kinship caregivers, and adoptive parents who need child behavior support in the moment. Each card takes one challenging behavior, explains what may be underneath it, and gives four practical, connection based strategies you can use right away. When a child lies, hoards food, shuts down, or melts down, you have something calm to reach for besides a consequence.

WHO MADE THIS
Created by a former licensed foster parent of 12 years with more than 100 placements, an adoptive parent, and a former foster parent trainer with foster care agency experience. The ten behaviors in this set are ones caregivers commonly face after a child comes into their home.

WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 1 overview page: a one page quick reference poster showing all ten behaviors and the Observe, Connect, Understand, Support approach
- 10 behavior cards, two per page, with a dashed cut line on every page
- Each card is a half sheet, about 7.7 x 4.9 inches inside the border, big enough to read at a glance in a hard moment

The behaviors covered:
- Lies
- Steals
- Hoards Food
- Refuses
- Shuts Down
- Controls Everything
- Melts Down
- Runs Away
- Rejects Affection
- Becomes Aggressive

Each card includes:
- A short explanation of what the behavior often means
- Possible needs underneath it, such as fear, shame, grief, loss of control, hunger history, and sensory overload
- Four "Try This Instead" strategies
- A reminder to come back to: Behavior is communication. Connection is the goal.

WHO IT'S FOR
- Foster parents, especially in the early weeks of a new placement
- Kinship caregivers, including grandparents, relatives, and family friends raising a child
- Adoptive parents and guardians
- Respite providers, relatives, and babysitters who need to know how your household responds to hard moments
- Case managers, family support workers, and foster parent trainers (see Terms of Use below for group use)

HOW TO USE IT
- Print at home or at a print shop on letter size paper or cardstock, then cut along the dashed line
- Post the overview page on the fridge or keep it in the front of your placement binder
- Keep the cards in a kitchen drawer, on a binder ring, or in your planner for quick reference
- Save the PDF to your phone or tablet so you have it when you are away from home
- Give printed copies to everyone who cares for the child so the adults in their life respond the same way
- Laminate the cards if you want them to last

A NOTE ON USE
These cards are an educational tool. They are not a substitute for therapy, medical care, or your agency's policies. If a child's behavior puts anyone at risk, or a child leaves your home without permission, follow your safety plan and contact your caseworker or agency.

PAIRS WELL WITH
- Trauma Informed Discipline Toolkit: the full framework behind these cards, with deeper strategies for hard behaviors
- What Do I Need Cards: help a child name the need behind the behavior
- Feelings Cards: build the feelings vocabulary children need to tell you what's wrong
- Calm Choices: calm down strategy cards children can choose from on their own
- Respite Care Handoff Packet: pass along how your home handles hard moments when someone else is caring for your child
- Foster Care Placement Binder: keep these cards with everything else you need for a new placement

DOWNLOAD DETAILS
- This is a digital download. No physical item will be shipped.
- 1 PDF, 6 pages, 8.5 x 11 inch letter size
- Designed with a safe margin on every page, so it prints cleanly at Actual Size on a home printer
- Prints on A4 using your printer's fit to page setting
- Cardstock recommended
- Your files are available right after payment in your Etsy account under Purchases
- Colors may look slightly different depending on your screen and printer

TERMS OF USE
For personal use in your own home. You are welcome to print copies for the caregivers, respite providers, and babysitters who care for your child. Please do not share, copy, or resell the digital file. Agencies, trainers, and organizations interested in using this set with families, please message the shop.

Because this is a digital product, all sales are final. If you have any trouble with your download, send a message and I'll help.