Search Results for: blog get involved mentoring children in state care

Single Parents will Benefit from Getting Involved

I know how busy you are—as single parents, most of us have little time to sip a cup of coffee, let alone add more activities and events to our daily lives. I do believe, however, that getting more involved in our communities, our neighborhoods, or other facets of the world around us will benefit us, our families, and make our lives richer and more fulfilling. Instead of focusing on all of the time that you do not have, it might be worth your while to look for ways that you can get more involved with things that make you happy, … Continue reading →

Helping Foster Care Teens Grow Up

My last blog talked about a problem most people rarely think about: the high rates of homelessness, unemployment, dropping out of school before gaining a diploma, and unplanned pregnancy found among older teens who suddenly stop being cared for by the foster care system once they turn 18. Many 18-year-olds are still in high school. Many more foster youth will not finish on time because of difficulties caused by changing schools due to frequent foster care moves. One agency providing tutoring to foster children estimated that their clients’ reading levels were 5-6 years behind their age—this means an 18-year-old reading … Continue reading →

MEN TORch the Chance of Boys Becoming Non-Violent Men

Come on men. Where are you? Our boys are in trouble. There are not enough male mentors signing up to mentor our collective sons. I have been involved in training mentors for young people since 2000. Overwhelmingly the mentor trainees are women. While this is great for our girls, what about our boys? Leading boys is something that women can do, but men leading boys may be far more powerful. Boys are socialized to like and do different things. They are unique. Boys have different physiology, different skills, and often, different ways of thinking. These differences need to be celebrated … Continue reading →

Parents: Considering Homeschooling?

It’s that time of year. Parents are wrapping up another school year with their kids. Hopefully this was a fantastic year but sometimes parents are faced with the challenge of making difficult educational decisions for their children’s future school career. Perhaps your child is struggling to keep up. Perhaps the social experience of school was painful and difficult for your child. Perhaps your child has shown gifts that their current school is not prepared to support. Maybe your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability or ADHD and you question the diagnosis or the treatment. There are many situations … Continue reading →