What the Holidays Look Like for Youth in Residential Care
By Kristen Dipert, Youth Wellness Coordinator
The holiday season is often described as a time of warmth, tradition, and togetherness. However, for youth living in residential care, the month of December can look and feel very different.
Moments of joy, love, and community still exist in residential care, but they may appear through new traditions and different people than before, stirring complex emotions as youth navigate joy interwoven with pain.
Through our residential partnerships, we strive to make the season meaningful, supportive, and healing for every young person spending their holidays in residential treatment this year.
For many youth in care, the holidays can also highlight the absence of family, the instability they’ve experienced, or traditions interrupted by difficult circumstances. Some may feel hopeful and excited, while others may experience grief, anger, or loneliness.
Fostering Hope’s therapeutic programs (Hope in Balance, Creative Collaborations, Compassionate Manhood, Hope Grows Here and Stories of Hope) each offer mindful, creative outlets for youth to explore their emotions in a trauma-supported environment with compassionate teachers.
We approach the season with flexibility and take cues from the youth we are currently working with, recognizing that not every young person wants celebration and that each youth brings a unique cultural and religious background.
Michael Ingram, one of Fostering Hope’s Yoga Wellness Instructors, captures what holidays look like for youth in residential care, stating, “For many youth in residential care, December carries mixed emotions: grief for what’s been hard, pressure to ‘feel festive’, and uncertainty around family contact. Our focus is to create safety and meaning through steady routines, trusted relationships, opportunities for choice, and traditions that reflect each young person’s culture and values. Small moments matter: a quiet space when emotions run high, a hand-written note, the chance to help plan a meal. When youth have voice, agency, and connection, the season becomes less about ‘perfect holidays’ and more about real, restorative experiences.” At Fostering Hope, our goal is to honor every young person’s identity, experiences, and comfort level.
The generosity of our community is especially impactful at this time of year. Donations, volunteer initiatives, and gift drives make it possible for every young person to feel remembered. These contributions help ensure that each youth has something to open, a therapeutic class to participate in, and someone showing they care.
Beyond class content or material items, what matters most is Fostering Hope’s message: You matter, and you are not alone.
At its heart, the holiday season in residential foster care is about hope. Hope for safety. Hope for healing. Hope for futures shaped by stability and opportunity. December gives us a chance to reinforce that hope through compassion, tradition, and community support. As we close the year, we extend our gratitude to everyone who plays a role in our organization: staff, partners, donors, volunteers, and friends.
Thank you for making the holidays a little brighter for the youth we serve and for being a part of Fostering Hope.