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Read moreSeries: November 2015 • Vol. 20, No. 1
Parenting special populations in foster care
“Special population” is a term generally used to refer to a disadvantaged group. People with disabilities, economically disadvantaged families, and children in foster care are often considered to be special populations. So if you’re a foster parent, you already parent children who are part of a “special population.” But there are also special populations within foster care, such as children
Read moreLearning to support, include, and empower LGBTQ youth in substitute careby Lindley Myers
When I began designing training about enhancing safety, well-being, and permanence for LGBTQ youth in foster care, I had no idea how much I had to learn. I found my thinking challenged most profoundly by interviews with young people, foster parents, case workers, and community partners across our state. Their willingness to share has given me lots of new insight.
Read moreLGBTQ Youth in CareReflections from a Father and Son
I Have a Light, Somewhere in Me by Justin Maxwell Before you give me something to live for I need you to freeze, read the caution tape that I have tried to hang myself with since last January. Study the crime scene that sent me into foster care. My heart has been broken into, bashed and now abandoned. It has
Read moreParenting Children Who’ve Experienced Traumaby Bob DeMarco
When our family joined your ranks as foster parents we didn’t know we were bringing children into our family who had special needs. We knew only that they were a brother and sister who had suffered considerable loss and that there were some behavioral issues that resulted in their being moved around. Our family was chosen for the kids on
Read moreParenting a Child with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Suggestions and Resourcesby Marlyn Wells
After pre-service training, Libby and Ben felt ready to welcome a child into their home. Two months after a baby boy was placed with them, however, they were struggling. The baby’s development was much slower than expected. He was sleeping more and eating less. Sometimes they even had to wake him to eat. After many clinic visits and referrals their
Read moreParenting a Child of a Different Raceby Tonia Jacobs Deese
If you’re a foster parent, chances are you’ll have the opportunity to care for a child whose race or culture is different from yours. The same is true if you are considering adopting a child or youth from foster care. One reason for this is that there are more children of color in foster care than would be expected based
Read moreRecognizing and Responding to Disclosure or Signs of Sexual Abuseby Donna Gillespie Foster
If you are a foster or adoptive parent, I am sure you will believe me when I say that my 17 years as a foster parent positively changed my life forever. I bet you can say the same thing. I Felt So Unprepared Starting out I felt capable of helping children who had experienced physical and emotional abuse. But when
Read moreCaring for Children with Nonsuicidal, Self-Injurious Behaviorby Jeanne Preisler
Someone close to me used to intentionally cut himself when he was younger. He wasn’t trying to kill himself. He wasn’t trying to harm himself at all. On the contrary, he cut himself because it helped him cope in really difficult situations. This is often referred to with terms such as “nonsuicidal self-injury” or “self-harm” or “self-mutilation.” Youth who use
Read moreMaintaining Connections…Perspectives from Youth in Foster Care
In the last issue of Fostering Perspectives we asked young people in foster care “Who has tried to help you stay connected to your parents and other family members while you’ve been in foster care? What have they done that’s been helpful? What has been less helpful?“ Here’s what they had to say. * * * * * First Place
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