Writing for the Foster Care Community

When writing for specific groups, or discourse communities, many considerations should be taken into account to make your writing original, interesting, and worth reading.

What is a discourse community?

A “discourse community” is a group of individuals bound by a common interest who communicate through approved channels and whose discourse is regulated (Porter). Several different discourses can exist within a main discourse as well. For example, discussing foster care on general terms can attract many individual who are curious, have heard stories about experiences of children in foster care, connotations of foster care, and a general idea about how the system works. Generalizations are made and minimal terminology is exchanged. A subgroup or perhaps an entirely different discourse community could be foster parents, DCS case workers, other agency employees, community volunteers, legal system personnel, and biological parents and children. Within each of these communities, a particular language exists to that particular group. Each discourse community understands another through this common knowledge and language. For example, a new foster care family may not understand acronyms such as PPH, PCP, CFT, or ICWA. These terms would make sense to members of a different community. A group of foster parents on social media may relate experiences for support but a member of the team without children may not fully comprehend the challenges of coordinating children in foster care with the children of foster families.

By understanding which discourse community you are writing for will help tailor the style, word choice, and tone of your message. Having a clear idea of your audience and their needs will help make your writing successful.

Pamphlets, calendars, and handouts

Just recently I was given a folder of information when I attended the PPH or Preliminary Protective Hearing of the foster child placed in my care. In the folder was a booklet, intended for parents, family members, and foster parents detailing the court system and what to expect. The front page had a short introduction about what information would be found inside and the booklet also included a table of contents for main topics such as visits, judge, behavioral health, mediation, and case plan. Each section had bold headings, bullet points, and simple, clear language.

The calendar for the year was bound and had space to keep track of important dates, scheduled appointments, and a way of documenting progress. When opening the calendar, the page above provides more information about the court process, what to expect, services offered to parents, children, and families. General helpful phone numbers include emergency housing options, clothing assistance, emergency food banks, and other community services were listed.

The writer for these informational handouts knew that their audience needed short, bursts of relative and important information. Bullet points and bold headings and especially important sentences stood out and is easy to scan. Understanding the complexity of the court system and the requirements needed to maneuver that system are complicated and confusing.

While also attending training courses for new foster parents, we received a binder of about 400 pages of material! This guide provided an extensive amount of information detailing the responsibilities, obligations, and expectations of adoptive, kinship, and foster parents. The manual is well organized and formatted, using bullet points and numerals. The language is formal and contains legalese making it hard to read at times. The audience has now changed. Interestingly the purpose of the writing has stayed the same: to inform.

Social languages in discourse communities

Social languages and situated identities are natural styles of communication and allow an individual to connect differently in various social settings. We are then constantly altering our language, even if slightly. Therefore, language is in action. It is important to recognize that our writing will also adjust depending on who we are writing for and what we are writing about.

Ivon Chouinard, owner of the clothing company Patagonia, acknowledges that the success of his company lies in good communication, or appropriate social languages. His approach creates an environment where trust is important and employees feel a sense of ownership of the business. “The best democracy exists when decisions are made through consensus, when everyone comes to an agreement that the decision made is the correct one.” (Chouinard) In order to work effectively toward a common goal, Patagonia’s employees (including management who sees themselves as “one”) come to an agreement, together, on the company’s decisions. The mutual agreement and “ownership” as a combined force remove the hierarchy of authoritarian communication. The social language they use promotes trust. 

The language used in the pamphlets, calendar, and handouts I received, had a comfortable, unbiased tone. With suggestions on how to talk with the judge, stay organized, and information to have maximum results, gives the reader confidence in an environment typically associated with stress and high emotions.

Creating connections

A common successful element in business gurus such as Patagonia, Martha Stewart’s cookbooks, and Starbucks, is the ability to connect with customers. Although the “customers” we write for in foster care will not be buying our brand to leisurely use, persuasion is the product we are trying to “sell.” The principles that Martha Stewart and Joseph Michelli use can be applied to all writing. For example, Martha Stewart suggests asking yourself:

• Do you care?
• Does caring about your customer come naturally to you?
• If making money is more important than your customers’ satisfaction and loyalty, then you may have not yet found the right business to build.

Understanding the reader enough to empathize and know their needs is essential in creating good communication through writing.

The importance of understanding your audience

In order to effectively write to your audience, you must know what they need and how you message will best be received. Families involved in the juvenile court and foster care system, will not be reading for pleasure. Having training or understanding of the processes families go through of removing children from the home, requirements for parents with substance abuse, average length to complete their case plan, and potential changes to their rights as parents are sensitive elements to consider when writing for this discourse community.

Families will be reading strictly for information, and relative information to their circumstances. Your readers need clear, concise, and pertinent instructions on:

• Whom to talk to
• Where to go
• When to arrive
• What to bring
• How to behave/dress

Writers must be empathetic, sensitive, but more importantly clear. Readers must not finish wondering what they just read.

Being willing to accept change and adapt

Starbucks is a great example of accepting change and adapting to different environments. Whether expanding their business in Asia, or a small town in New Mexico, changes must relate to that particular area. Michelli says, “Leadership at Starbucks not only attempts to react to criticism early, but where possible, anticipates potential areas of resistance.” Understanding upcoming changes in policies, the way different judges tend to rule, changes in the local communities that could change families environments and other potential alternatives are all important.

At Patagonia, managers to not sit around waiting for change to happen. “The most important mandate for a manager in a dynamic company is to instigate change. (Chouinard) Do not let manuals and brochures become outdated with the change in times. Be aware of small changes that occur in your community, work place, and within the court and foster system. By anticipating inevitable developments, your writing can stay fresh and relevant.

Putting it all together

Key elements to becoming a successful foster care writer are to know and truly care about your “customers”, your readers. Your purpose will be to effectively guide and prepare them through clear instructions on how to maneuver a complex and complicated system. Be familiar with the language spoken in these discourses and of how closely related discourse communities become intertwined. An awareness of impending changes to policies will help you be prepared to make adjustments in your writing. Applying these skills in communication can increase your chances of writing effectively for foster care families.