A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
by Jeanne Preisler • For Children Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia Kahn Wright Kids Need to Be Safe: A Book for Children in Foster Care by Julie Nelson Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids by Carol McCloud Families Change: A Book for Children Experiencing
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A new report from Casey Family Programs explores emerging research that links positive experiences in childhood with healthy outcomes for children and families and their ability to mitigate the effects of early adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The report points to actions that lessen the adversity common in so many families by promoting positive experiences for children and families. Resource parents
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by Sharon Hirsch • Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina is catalyzing conversations across the state by screening the documentary “Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope” (2015, KPJR Films). A showing of this one-hour film will be held Monday, November 20, 2017 at noon at the UNC School of Social Work in Chapel Hill. This event, which
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by Bob DeMarco • Webster’s defines resilience as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. Resilience is toughness, inner strength. Without it, we wither when hard things happen to us. Our Kids Are Resilient! All children in foster care or who have been adopted have endured the trauma of being separated from their biological families. Many have endured even more
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by Angie Stephenson • How can I help my child become his best possible self? Every parent asks this in some form or fashion, and I am no exception. In recent years my interest in this question has led me to the work of Brené Brown. Her ideas have been so helpful to me that I would like to share
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by Jeanne Preisler • Resilience is not something you have or don’t have. Resilience is something everyone can build. The more tools you have, the more resilient you can become. Here is an approach that has helped me that I believe will be helpful to you and, through you, to others in your life—including young people in foster care. Resourcing
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One way to understand the development of resilience is to visualize a balance scale or seesaw (see figure below). Protective experiences and coping skills on one side counterbalance significant adversity on the other. Resilience is evident when a child’s health and development tips toward positive outcomes—even when a heavy load of factors is stacked on the negative outcome side. 1.
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Two brothers, close in age, had the same difficult childhood. They experienced physical and sexual abuse and lived in violent neighborhoods. Both their parents struggled with alcohol and spent time in jail. Today, one brother is a thriving businessman who is happily married, a good father, and a valued member of his community. The other is chronically unemployed and fighting
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by Jodi Flick Suicide among young people in foster care is uncommon, but it does happen—even in young children. What can we do to reduce the risk of such a tragedy and increase every child’s resilience? Risk Factors As a starting point, it helps to know the factors that put youth at risk for depression, anxiety, and suicide. These include
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On October 23, 2013, foster care alumna and human trafficking survivor Withelma “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means as part of a hearing on preventing and addressing sex trafficking of youth in foster care. The following is an excerpt of her testimony. Her full remarks, as well as the transcript
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