According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the largest unmet health need for children in foster care is mental health.
Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries strives to prioritize the mental health of children in all of our homes, in a variety of ways. This looks like providing sensory baskets, which have fidgets, lavender-scented lotion, weighted blankets, and other items that help children learn to self-regulate. It also looks like providing resources and trainings to foster parents, from the beginning of their training in STARS classes, to more advanced Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) classes that equip parents with resources to connect with and empower their children. We also continuously support and encourage parents through our Family Advocates, who journey alongside Coyote Hill foster parents. This contributes to our 90% retention rate, which creates stability for children in Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries homes.
We also offer equine therapy through our equine program, which is a huge way to build confidence and support mental health for children in foster and adoptive homes.
Equine services are proven to be effective in treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and self-harm (Hallberg, 2017, Latella & Abrams, 2015). Additionally, Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries’s equine staff is especially qualified to support mental health through equine therapy. Larry McDaniel, Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries’s Founder, has over 30 years of experience with equine assisted psychotherapy, as well as an Advanced Certification in Trauma-Informed Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Our staff members also have TBRI® training in addition to their horsemanship experience.
We have been able to witness so much growth among our equine participants, and Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries staff and parents can attest to the ways horses have helped their children. We survey parents after their children complete one of our equine sessions. Last year, 96% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that their child had gained confidence after completing the equine session. Additionally, 79% noticed an increase in their child’s problem-solving skills.
One parent said, “I had three children attend. They absolutely loved it! All three were very hesitant the first week, but their confidence greatly improved each week.”
Related Stories View All
