A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
The theme of this issue of Fostering Perspectives is “foster care as a support for families, not a substitute for parents.” Foster care is intended to be a short-term intervention that strengthens parents’ protective capacities so they can safely care for their children. The goal is almost always for children and youth to return to their families. One of the
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This spring, most of us have been thrown for a loop by COVID-19 and the steps our society is taking to reduce its impact. Here in North Carolina, public schools across the state are closed for in-person instruction for the rest of this school year. We have been asked to stay at home and to keep our distance from one
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Click to download Fostering Perspectives (vol. 24, no. 2 • May 2020)
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by Donna Foster • One thing children and youth say about being in foster care is that adults talk about their lives and make plans without communicating with them. I have heard many say, “This is my life and I need to know what is going to happen!” I learned this early in my 17 years of fostering and agree
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What does shared parenting look and feel like to a child or youth in foster care? To find out, we asked members of SaySo (Strong Able Youth Speaking Out) what the experience was like for them, what they learned, and whether they had suggestions for adults and others involved in shared parenting. As the essays below make it clear, youth
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I visited Darren a lot while he was in foster care and worked hard to get him back. Even though I had two relapses, I went to school full-time and worked part-time. I lived in a shelter some of the time, and I got TANF…. “This story is about Darren, not about us.” After our visits, I always took Darren
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by Amy Huntsman • Almost all foster parents I know want to do shared parenting because they know foster care is supposed to be a support for families, not a substitute for parents. But sometimes they do have concerns. Some are new to foster parenting and worried about the unknowns. Others have a specific concern or experience—for example, the child’s
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by Jennifer Nehlsen • What does shared parenting look like for older teens in foster care? To answer this question, let’s consider the stories of Anna, Cora, and Delilah. Although their names are fictional, the stories below are based on the actual experiences of foster care alumni in North Carolina. Ultimately, resource families for older teens need to be open
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In last issue’s writing contest we asked young people in foster care, “We all have times when, even though we are physically safe, we don’t feel safe. When this happens to you, what are some of the things that help you create a feeling of safety?” Here’s what they had to say. First Place Things that help me feel safe
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by Jonathan Rockoff • Shared parenting was their biggest fear about being foster and adoptive parents. But they overcame this fear in an inspiring and remarkable fashion. I met Jonathan and Sally Six of Wake Forest, NC five years ago when they first became licensed foster parents. They already had one child of their own, “Mark,” and wanted to open
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