CORVALLIS, Ore. — Lily Joslin’s first placement as a foster parent was only for a night, but the experience made a lasting impression.
An 8-year-old boy arrived after a traumatic removal from his home. Joslin and her partner had stocked what they thought was “kid-friendly food.” The boy wasn’t interested. Joslin tried a different approach.
“We said, ‘OK, if we were to go pick up something from a fast-food restaurant, what would you like?’ He told us. We brought home chicken nuggets and fries, and he happily noshed on them.”
Later, the boy began talking about a play kitchen in the living room. He said that at home, he liked making pancakes for his family. Joslin told him they would make pancakes for breakfast.
“He was so excited,” she said. “The next morning, we made pancakes together. He ate a huge plate of them, and he was just really happy when he left.”
Training foster caregivers in nutrition and resilience
Joslin, a nutrition educator with the Oregon State University Extension Service in Columbia County, shared that story while teaching an in-person course on trauma-informed feeding strategies in early 2020. The training helped caregivers improve mealtimes and build resilience in children in their care.
The course ended when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Two years later, Extension partnered with the nonprofit SPOON to launch Nourished and Thriving Children, a free, self-paced online course that mirrors a toolkit SPOON created in 2018.
SPOON, founded in Portland in 2007, works to prevent malnutrition in children by empowering caregivers.
Course modules and approach
Kate Miller, feeding and disability specialist at SPOON, co-instructs the course. It is offered through Oregon State’s Professional and Continuing Education unit in the Division of Extension and Engagement. The course includes eight modules built around six principles of trauma-informed nutrition and how to use them at home.
Although designed for foster families, the course is appropriate for anyone caring for a child who has experienced trauma.
“We want caregivers to feel empowered,” Miller said. “Mealtime can become a battleground. We want to reframe it as an opportunity to connect with the child and build resilience.”
Partnership and development
Miller’s co-instructor is Jenny Rudolph, associate professor of practice in the Extension Family and Community Health Program and endowed outreach coordinator for the Moore Family Center for Whole Grain Foods, Nutrition and Preventive Health in the College of Health.
Rudolph has partnered with the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Child Welfare Office for more than 10 years to teach nutrition and cooking classes for foster families. She also has personal experience: her family fostered four cousins.
In 2019, Rudolph wrote a grant to the Columbia Pacific Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) to deliver SPOON’s toolkit in partnership with the DHS child welfare office in St. Helens. They taught four classes in 2020 before the pandemic forced the shift online.
Feedback from caregivers showed a need for more flexibility. With additional CCO funding, the team developed the interactive, self-paced online course.
What families will learn
The course features:
- Videos and advice from Oregon foster parents.
- Guidance on establishing trust and helping children try new foods.
- Recipes and resources from Extension’s Food Hero campaign.
“There are complicated food and nutrition issues with children in foster care,” Rudolph said. “There can be lingering issues from a child’s background, or sensory challenges. This course emphasizes building trust and relationships before implementing healthy eating practices.”
Building trust first
Good nutrition supports children’s growth, milestones and healing from toxic stress. But trust comes first, Joslin said.
“Relationship comes first, and nutrition comes second,” she said. “Helping kids develop a healthy relationship with food after trauma is a long game. You take it one day at a time.”
That may even mean allowing fast food at first.
“At the very least, it provides comfort for the child,” Joslin said. “When foster parents hear that concept, they breathe a sigh of relief. It’s a load off their shoulders.”
Impact so far
As of October 2022, 182 people had registered for the course. Together, they reported caring for 181 children under age 18. A pediatrician specializing in child abuse and foster care who completed the course shared this feedback:
“I found the course extremely valuable, and it is something I would like to share with the caregivers I work with.”
