Vol. 3, No. 1 • Fall 1998

Kinship Foster Families Face Major Changes

Foster care can be a world of transitions. Foster kids face many changes, including coming into DSS custody for the first time, getting a new social worker or GAL, and moving from one foster home or group home to another. With every move, kids must face being away from family, friends, pets, and other things they've learned to depend on. They must also adjust to their new environment.

Although they don't move around so much, foster parents face a lot of transitions, too. A sampling of common changes include: helping your family adjust when a new child moves into your home, coping with the logistics and powerful emotions provoked by the beginning and ending of placements, and getting a new social worker.

In this issue of Fostering Perspectives you will find articles that talk about some of these changes and present strategies for making the most out of foster care transitions.

	Kinship foster families face major changes
	Parent to parent: Saying good-bye
	Kinship care & kinship foster care
	Youth have a "SAY SO" in foster care
	Banquets recognize teens' achievements
	Foster parents ask DSS: Can foster parents be reimbursed for local travel?
	Recipe exchange: Chicken spaghetti
	Readers write
	Inspiration corner
	What I'd like foster parents to know: Expectations and desires of a social worker
	What I'd like foster parents to know: Expectations and desires of children in foster care
	Youth days: An investment in the future
	Kids' pages
	Stay, just a little bit longer!
	Do you have the information you need? A checklist
	Foster parent groups and "getting along"
	Do you know what to do in an emergency?
	North Carolina gets new adoption web page
	Web resources for foster parents
	Family support network of North Carolina: Assisting foster families
	Response to Shane: Children who lie and steal
	How to know when to call your child's teacher

Kinship Foster Families Face Major Changes

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