Seventy percent of the over 11,000 children in Oregon foster care enter the system due to abuse or neglect. Many of these children come from households suffering from food insecurity or homes where withholding food is used as a form of punishment.
Max came from one of those homes. He learned to cook Eggo waffles at five years old because they were the one thing that wouldn’t spoil while he was left home alone for days at a time. After a while, the only trustworthy food came from cardboard boxes. Fruits, vegetables, and other fresh foods seemed unreliable and unsafe. Because of this, Max developed unhealthy eating behaviors and a wariness of taking food from adults.
Max’s situation is not uncommon. Oregon’s rate of households suffering from food insecurity is above the national average; for children in the foster care system, these problems are often compounded. Children in foster care frequently have stunted growth, nutrient deficiencies, and difficulty adjusting to healthier meals when they are placed in a more stable home.
Foster parents Lisa and Matthew took Max in at nine years old. They cared deeply for Max and wanted to provide the best possible care for him so he could overcome these early traumatic experiences. Every night, Lisa prepared dinner for the entire family to eat together at the table, but Max never joined them – he preferred to eat a box of cereal alone in his room instead.
Max’s mealtime challenges overwhelmed his new foster parents. They hadn’t received training on feeding and nutrition issues when they became foster parents; their foster care caseworker didn’t know how to support them; and although they tried many things to encourage Max to eat a healthy diet, nothing seemed to work.
SPOON provided the help they were seeking. Lisa and Matthew were eager participants in SPOON’s foster parent training on how to address nutrition and feeding challenges. They learned much-needed information about how trauma can impact growth, weight, and appetite, as well as tips and techniques for addressing food-related issues, including some of the difficulties Max experienced.
“We knew when we walked out of there,” Lisa said, “that our lives were going to be completely different.”
Lisa and Matthew implemented the strategies SPOON taught them and saw dramatic results. The biggest change came from allowing Max to serve himself at dinnertime. He could control the portions and placement of his food, which restored his power to make his own meal choices.
Within two weeks of using SPOON’s recommended techniques, Max began sitting at the family table, eating the same foods as everyone else, and interacting with the other family members. SPOON’s training helped transform mealtime experiences for the entire family and gave Max the chance to bond with his family members, develop his social skills, and nourish his body with healthy foods.
SPOON aims to help more children like Max who have every right to grow and thrive. We support their foster families and community systems to recognize and address feeding and nutrition challenges that no one else is tackling.
With your support, we can continue offering ours. Join us in ensuring children like Max have a seat at the table.
