Foster Parenting

Foster Parenting | Nature vs. Nurture in Adoption Foster Parenting | Adoptive parents want to understand nature vs. nurture or genetics vs. environment in the context of adoption. How much can adoptive parents influence how their children turn out? Host Dawn Davenport, Executive Director of Creating a Family, the national infertility & adoption education and support nonprofit, interviews Sally Ann Rhea, the study coordinator for the Colorado Adoption Project, and Dr. Alexandra Burt, Associate Professor of behavioral genetics with affiliation with the Michigan State University Twin Registry. Source: Creating A [...]

Foster Parenting | Defining Success/Failure As A Foster Parent   Foster Parenting | Anyone who has ever been involved in a foster care program knows that it can be a very tumultuous process. This is not to say that it is not very rewarding and a great decision. It just means that foster care can be full of ups and downs. This is why it makes it very difficult to determine success as a foster parent. Some may say that not being able to reach a child is a failure. [...]

Foster Parenting | Is Foster Parenting Worth The Pain? Foster parenting can be one of the most worthwhile choices you can make during your adult life. However, there is a lot of work involved that can be very tedious and challenging. Foster parenting requires you to follow specific regulations to ensure that the foster child is properly cared for and is involved in an environment to promote growth. One of the struggles that you must face when foster parenting is the constant inspections. You always need to be ready to [...]

Foster Parenting | 3 Ways to Balance Foster Parenting When You Have Children of Your Own Foster parenting is a very noble, selfless act that can help children who are in a bad place. Some people decide that foster parenting is something they want to do even after they have already had children of their own. Sometimes this balance can cause a rift between the foster children and biological children that are vying for attention from their parents. Here are a few ways to ease tension and make sure that [...]

  Foster Parenting | Tips on How to Become A Foster Parent to An Older Child Foster Parenting | Learning how to become a foster parent to an older child is a challenging experience that requires a lot of discipline and patience. As children get older they develop their own personalities and express a variety of emotions. Even a seemingly well-adjusted child can become moody or develop negative attitudes as they approach their teenage years. Here are some tips on how to be successful when you become a foster parent [...]

How Foster Parents Can Create A Welcoming Home Environment Foster parenting can be both rewarding and stressful as you attempt to provide a quality living environment for your foster children. Many foster children have been through some poor living situations in the past. It is important to make their current living experience as safe and inviting as possible. Here are some tools to help make your home environment welcoming for your foster children.   Maintain a Clean Home A child that has been removed from their home and placed in [...]

What Play Therapy Is And How It Helps Foster Children   Foster Parenting | Most, if not all, foster children will need therapy at some point in their life. The process of being in foster care programs (resource programs) can bring many struggles for children that need to be addressed. Many therapists now offer Play Therapy for younger children which allow them to play with children while also talking to them in a relaxed atmosphere. Here are 3 ways that Play Therapy can greatly help children in foster care programs [...]

You may have noticed that we are using the term Resource Family interchangeably with Foster Parent. The primary reason for this is the government’s decision to morph language to better fit the needs of children and the aspirations of the child welfare system. Here’s how they define it: “A Resource Family is any individual, couple, or family who wants to provide care to a related or unrelated child (or children) who is under the jurisdiction of the juvenile court, or otherwise in the care of a county child welfare agency [...]