Being a resource parent can be one of the most important, most deeply rewarding roles in the world.
It can also be one of the hardest: intense, stressful, frustrating, and immensely draining.
If resource parents don’t make a serious commitment to self-care, they can quickly find themselves overwhelmed and ineffective. Because it is hard—some would say impossible—to support the recovery and healthy development of children who have experienced trauma if you aren’t doing so well yourself.
Self-care is a cornerstone of success for foster and adoptive parents and relative caregivers, a thing on which all other successes depend.
For this reason, this issue shares perspectives and reflections from foster parents and others and points you to self-care ideas and resources.
We sincerely hope this issue of Fostering Perspectives will help you build your resilience and commitment to taking care of yourself, so you can enjoy the rewards of caring for others for a long time to come.
