Most children do not have control of their lives. They can’t make big decisions like where to live or what to buy. In many cases, they can’t even make small decisions like deciding what time they’ll go to bed or when they can have dinner. It’s not a punishment; it’s childhood. For foster children, who […]
Since 2008 and the passage of the Fostering Connections to Success Act, a concerted effort has been made nationwide to place siblings in the same foster care, kinship guardianship or adoptive placement. But what happens when siblings can’t be placed together? How do you, as a foster parent, care for a young boy who has […]
There is no knowing how the future will turn out when you decide to become a foster parent. Maybe you’ll foster and fall in love with a child. Maybe you’ll realize that the work you’re doing is truly important and make fostering your life’s work. You might even foster and find out that it’s not […]
Foster parents should be prepared for challenging behavior when they decide to open their home to vulnerable children. But once you’ve gone forward with the decision and you find yourself in a situation beyond your control, what do you do? Who can you turn to? What are your options? Here’s how you know when your […]
For a foster child, pets can be a cornerstone of emotional health, sharers of unconditional friendship and a constant presence in a world that seems to be changing all the time. But they can also become the object of a foster child’s pent-up frustration and suppressed trauma. Knowing whether a pet, like a dog or […]
You’re at work when you receive an urgent phone call. Your foster child has had an altercation with one of his classmates and is at risk of being expelled. On the way to his school, you contact the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (DCP&P) caseworker immediately. After picking up your foster child and taking […]
The question of discipline is important for any parent, not just for a foster parent. There are a plethora of parenting styles and techniques that those raising children utilize on a daily basis. But for foster parents, who are often caring for children with challenging behavior due to a history of being abused or neglected, […]
Every baby born into the world represents another chance to improve upon the past and feel hopeful about the future. But it takes years of work from a patient, strong-willed and dedicated parent to help a baby become a healthy child. You can be that parent for thousands of babies across the state. Fostering babies […]
You’re sleeping comfortably in bed after a long day. As you’re counting sheep, your sleep gets interrupted with the cries of your foster child. In a rush, you run to his room to make sure everything is OK. On your way there, many thoughts cross your mind. Is he having a nightmare? Did he fall […]
When welcoming your foster child into her new home, your focus is to make sure she has everything she needs. Imagine that upon providing her with the essentials, including food, noticing rapid weight loss or finding large amounts of empty food wrappers hidden in weird places in her room. You are successfully providing for her, […]