Success As A Foster Parent

Change a child's life! Reap the rewards of becoming a foster parent. Over 600,000 American children are in the foster care system each year—and the number is growing. So is the number of good-hearted people willing to become foster parents. But what does it take to become a foster parent? How does one begin? What about your own family? What does it cost? Success as a Foster Parent has the answers to these basic questions and much more. Written by Rachel Greene Baldino, MSW, in association with the National Foster Parent Association, it is the first and only commercially available book to clearly explain the process of becoming a foster parent. Readers will learn: • The questions to ask before making the decision to be a foster caregiver • How to research local state and private agencies • The financial cost and the compensation • The challenges involved in caring for children from infants to teens, including physically- and psychologically-challenged kids • Issues relating to schools, birth parents, supervisory visits, vacations, and dozens of other factors • All about adoption In addition to concrete information, there are dozens of moving stories drawn from interviews with veteran foster parents and tips about caregiving.

"A guide to state adoption and parenting adopted children"--Cover.

The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study found that quality foster care services for children pay big dividends when they grow up. Key investments in highly trained staff, low caseloads and robust complementary services can dramatically reduce rates of mental disorders and substance abuse. This book offers a model foster care programme.

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.

Foster parenting is both a rewarding and a challenging job, a lifestyle of continuous learning and new experiences, and The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom will be there to support you as you, in turn, support your foster children. Filled with 365 days' worth of daily tips, inspirational quotes, and motivational short stories from a foster care expert, this book is a must-read for modern child-welfare advocates, adoptive parents, and foster parents. It provides inspirational content every day, including instructions, tips, anecdotes, and more.

It's tough being a foster kid. In addition to dealing with the abuse, trauma and/or neglect in their home of origin, kids in the foster care system face the fear and uncertainty inherent in having one or more temporary family placements. For kids who never find a permanent home, but instead age out of the system, homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, and debilitating mental health illnesses are often their reality as they enter adulthood. But that doesn't have to be their future! A Foster Kid's Road To Success teaches teens in foster care the most important life lessons needed to succeed after aging out.

Based on exhaustive research, the authors discuss the primary concerns in foster placement planning. By monitoring and describing the individual characteristics of the child within their placement, we are able to discover what types of support are most beneficial.

Surviving in the foster care system is as equally challenging as parenting difficult children. This is vital information all foster parents need to remain available for children who need them.