A publication dedicated to making foster care and adoption in North Carolina the best they can be
by Megan Holmes • “Time is filled with swift transitions” — Jennie B. Wilson We quickly learn the truth in this statement as we grow, learn, and develop throughout life. I can personally attest to this phrase being true because I’ve experienced many transitions in my two-and-a-half decades. I’ve transitioned from multiple homes from a young age prior to foster care,
Read more
The expectation that we can be immersed in suffering and loss daily and not be touched by it is as unrealistic as expecting to be able to walk through water without getting wet. — Rachel Naomi Remen Many children in foster care have experienced trauma—events that threatened their life or sense of safety, or the life or safety of a
Read more
National Geographic produced a documentary a few years ago called “Stress: A Portrait of a Killer.” It’s available online and takes an hour to watch. It is an hour well spent. Stress in the Lives of Resource Parents We know through an abundance of research that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a lifelong impact on our social, emotional, and
Read more
If you are caring for a loved one’s child due to abuse or neglect, our child welfare system relies on you. One in four children in foster care in North Carolina are in “kinship placements,” which typically means a county department of social services has legal custody of the child, but the child lives with a relative (Duncan, 2014). Benefits
Read more
A conversation with child welfare social workers As a resource parent, you’ve seen first-hand the effects chronic trauma can have on a child’s health and well-being. And as discussed elsewhere in this issue, your own functioning can be affected by exposure to children’s traumatic histories. But what about social workers? Unfortunately, they are also at risk for Secondary Traumatic Stress
Read more