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Foster Parents Part 2

Take a moment to think about this, how many times has your child had to work on a project for school where they were to bring pictures of them when they were younger? Now imagine you had none to give your child how would your child feel? Most good foster parents create a book that the child can take with them to wherever their next home may be. This book is called a life book and it basically shows their life since they were in foster care. Most children in the system have no pictures from before they were put … Continue reading →

Foster Parents

When a child is in the foster care system the foster parent’s role should be pretty straight forward. You open your hearts and homes to children that have been removed from their biological families care. You offer these children a safe place to live in a caring family environment. You care for these children as if they were your own, with the knowledge that this is a temporary place for them to be. Most foster parent’s go into position for all the right reasons, to give an innocent child unconditional love and a safe place to call home. However, there … Continue reading →

Are all Foster Homes the Same?

When you think of a foster home you think that they would be pretty much the same however that could not be further from the truth. Our two sons were placed in foster care around the same time but they were not placed in the same home. First I really do not understand that, siblings should be together. I understand there are some large sibling groups that finding a home to accept the entire group may be impossible, but we are talking about two kids. When they were placed in foster care one was a month and the other was … Continue reading →

Book Review: Maybe Days: A Book for Kids in Foster Care

My last blog mentioned some books written to help foster care kids understand and come to terms with their experiences. I wanted to write a full review of another book, Maybe Days: a Book for Children in Foster Care. This book, labeled for ages 4-10 years, seems to me to be for somewhat older kids than The Star or Zachary’s New Home (books discussed in the last blog). It is written by Jennifer Wilgocki, M.S., a child and family therapist who presents training on attachment and bonding issues to professionals and foster parents. Dr. Marcia Wright is a clinical psychologist. … Continue reading →

Cats and Dogs Really Can Get Along

They’re as universal an example of opposites as up and down, day and night, right and left. Even the line “cats and dogs getting along” is sometimes used as a turn of phrase for unbelievable events. Thus there’s an idea out there that one has to be either a cat person or a dog person. One can’t love both equally, or one certainly can’t have both as pets without inviting a fur-flying frenzy into the home. At best they’ll get along by avoiding each other for the most part, and at worst they’ll need to be separated. Except that simply … Continue reading →

Happy Mother’s Day, Foster Mothers

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One of the greatest blessings of the Korean adoption system is the foster mothers. Infants and toddlers are taken care of in private homes by foster mothers. The majority of these foster mothers, though not all, are women whose own children are grown. They take usually one or sometimes two babies into their home for anywhere from two months to two years. They often carry the baby on their backs in the traditional Korean carrier quilt. The infant may sleep in the foster mother’s bed. If not, she sleeps on a mat on the floor in the foster mother’s room. … Continue reading →

Foster Care Reform

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The Texas legislature has apparently become very concerned with recent revelations in regard to huge deficiencies in the state’s ability to oversee foster homes and child care facilities. Outside of Dallas, a six year old child was recently murdered by a very violent teenage member of her foster family. In this incident which was reported in a previous blog, the state’s lax supervision practices were brought to light. A top CPS official was called upon to testify before a legislative committee in a public hearing. The administrator came under intense questioning. He promised the legislators that his agency is working … Continue reading →

Abusive Foster Homes

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Last November, Mesa Family Services, a company that licensed and operated foster homes in the Dallas area, lost its permit because two children had died violently in separate incidents in their homes in the last four years. A company called Therapeutic Family Life took over one hundred of their homes. Apparently, there was little improvement in supervision and conditions. A five year old girl has been violently murdered in one of those homes and her foster mother has been arrested. Apparently, her teenaged son, who has been arrested for murder, had been beating the little girl and her siblings. Police … Continue reading →

Reflections on Homeschooling

As many people do, I try hard to reevaluate where I’m at during these first few weeks in January. I don’t like to set resolutions, but I like to think hard about what I’ve accomplished, what I didn’t accomplish and where we go from here. I’m sure many of you are doing the same thing so I thought I’d share some thoughts. The Importance of a “Big Picture” Mentality It is so easy to focus on what we have not accomplished. Let’s see. . .with 5 kids under the age of 7 my house is almost never fully and completely … Continue reading →

Adoption Transitions #2 All About the Baby or Child.

Questions, questions, and more questions. Adoptive parents need to focus during the transition process and get all the information they possibly can. It doesn’t matter how old your baby or child is when you become the parent, there are some basic things you want to know. Which foods does the baby or child like or dislike? If you are adopting an infant what brand of formula, and type of bottle does the baby like? What types of solid food has the baby been given? If the child is older, ask what the favorite foods are and what the problem foods … Continue reading →