Foster Love

"Every once in a while an author arrives with the rare talent to combine reality with romance. This is Janis Reams Hudson." —RT BOOK REVIEWS It was supposed to be a brief assignment, one that forced Agent Morgan Foster to leave his children for six months. When it backfires, that assignment turns into four years in Central America, hiding and fighting to survive. But now he’s back, and is horrified to learn that his ex-wife has died, leaving his supposedly orphaned children under the care of a foster mother. Widow Sarah Collins loves her foster children as if they are her own, and they love her in return. It has been a peaceable life emerging from great tragedy, growing up on an Oklahoma farm. So when Morgan suddenly returns to pursue custody of his children, Sarah invites him to stay while he becomes reacquainted with his kids. As Morgan takes up residence on the farm alongside his kids—and beautiful Sarah—what starts off as merely a logical compromise turns into a whirlwind of passion and temptation both Sarah and Morgan may be hopeless to resist.

The Lives of Foster Carers analyzes the contradictions, conflicts, and ambiguities experienced by foster carers arising from the inter-penetrations of public bureaucracy and private family life. Topics covered include: social policy pertinent to childcare the history of foster care service available literature on the experience of foster carers public versus private domains in foster care motivations and roles of foster carers how foster carers perceive themselves and their foster children. Based on a wide range of literature and in-depth interviews with forty-six foster carers, this book provides a valuable insight into the concerns, processes and experiences of foster carers in the UK. Jargon free and accessible, it will appeal to foster carers, practitioners, students and academics in social care, youth work and childcare as well as policy makers in children’s services.

Andy Pithouse and Alyson Rees use original research to identify key ingredients needed to help create successful foster placements and help prevent placement breakdown. In this study the lives and activities of 10 foster families who provide lasting and effective care are examined. The families' everyday world of meanings, negotiations, activities, settings, rituals and relationships that help to create these successful placements, are explored. The authors identify the main components that, according to the carers and the children, contribute to acceptance, belonging and stability in the family. The book examines the emotional and practical work involved in caring, and explores how it is received and reciprocated by fostered young people. With important insights into child and carer perspectives on fostering, What Works in Foster Care is a source of invaluable information for foster carers, children's service professionals, and trainees and care staff more generally who may be engaged with children who are looked after.

Old favorites such as Beautiful Dreamer and Oh! Susanna as well as patriotic, plantation, and minstrel songs by the American composer are presented along with reproductions of original covers

There are great rewards that come along with being a foster parent, yet there are also great challenges that can leave you feeling depleted, alone, and discouraged. The many burdens of a foster parent's day--hurting children, struggling biological parents, and a broken system--are only compounded by the many burdens of a foster parent's heart--confusion, anxiety, heartache, anger, and fear. With the compassion and insight of a fellow foster parent, Jamie C. Finn helps you see your struggles through the lens of the gospel, bringing biblical truths to bear on your unique everyday realities. In these short, easy-to-read chapters, you'll find honest, personal stories and practical lessons that provide encouragement and direction from God's Word as you walk the journey of foster parenting.

You know the Dugans. They’re that scrappy family that lives down the street. Their yard is overgrown, they don’t pick up after their dog, their five children run free—leaving chaos in their wake—and the father hasn’t earned a cent in years. The wife holds them together on her income alone. You wouldn’t want them for neighbors—but from a distance, they’re quite entertaining. You can tell from the empty bottles lying under the bush out front that alcohol is an issue in the household—and all things considered, you can hardly blame the wife for leaving one day. Without her at the helm, the rest carry on the best they can. Their strong sense of family keeps them going. They help—and in some cases, rescue—each other as they struggle for a better life. And while they never follow the rules, or completely conquer the adversity with which they’re faced, they do manage to meet their challenges—and even earn some much-needed respect. Along the way, they might even make you proud. Set in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, the twelve linked stories of Our Love Could Light The World depict a dysfunctional family that’s messy and rude, cruel and kind, and loyal to the end.

America's foster care system has a noble goal—to care for children that for various reasons can no longer be cared for by their families—but years of inattention and inadequate funding have left many foster youth in a precarious state. This resource provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the American foster care system. Areas of coverage include the scaffolding of foster care systems in the various states (each of which operate their own unique systems through their social service agencies); conditions under which children are taken out of their families of origin and placed in foster care; the experiences of both young children and older teens in foster homes; challenges for foster children who "age out" of the system; and proposals to reform and improve foster care across the nation. Geared for students, this book contains chapters devoted to the background and history of foster care in America; the systems's problems, controversies, and solutions; original essay contributions exploring various facets of the system; profiles of leading foster care activists and organizations; governmental data and excerpts of primary documents on the topic; and an annotated list of important books, scholarly journals, and nonprint sources for further research. It closes with a detailed chronology, glossary of terms, and subject index.