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Kinship Adoption Profile

When you lose your mother to cancer and are then removed from your father’s care to another state, it can threaten to eliminate all hopes and dreams for a successful future. This is the beginning of the story, but not the end for one of FAFS’ private scholarship winners.

kinship adoption profileWhile children usually celebrate the ending of school year and prepare for summer days filled with fun, she had to say goodbye to her mother. She recalls holding on to her mom and taking in every memory she could of the delicate flower that was soon to pass away. It is no surprise that, when her mother passed, she felt a piece of herself disappeared.

That Sunday she went to church with her father, but she did not leave with him. The Department of Human Services came to take her and her two brothers away. It was then she knew her life was never going to be the same. She waited to finally go home to her father; that day never came. The question that rang most in her mind was “Why me?” In her mind, foster care was only for abused children. She had just lost her mother and then began to realize her father didn’t have the strength to hold up himself or his children. Continue reading →

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Should Siblings Be Placed Together in Foster Care?

should siblings be placed together in foster careWhen a child is removed from her home, there is no one who understands the trauma of parental separation and loss like a sibling. The bonds between brothers and sisters are strong and unique. They can provide security, comfort and strength during what is an unimaginably difficult time.

It’s with this in mind that an emphasis has been placed on placing siblings together in foster care.
Placing siblings together in foster care Continue reading →

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When a Forever Home Isn’t Forever: The Reality of Adoption Dissolution

adoption dissolutionPicture this: You see a photograph of an adorable child in need of a loving and caring home. As you look into his eyes, you want nothing more than to see him happy and to be a part of making that happen. You take all of the necessary steps (home study, training, etc.) to become a foster adoptive parent and you gain access to more information. Once all of the proper steps have been taken, you finally meet him. You instantly fall in love and proceed with everything needed to begin the adoption process. The child is now in his new home, and after a few months you begin to notice things that were not as obvious as before. Not too long after that, you begin to realize that you may have made the wrong decision in bringing him into your home. It can be heartbreaking, to say the least. While it is a harsh reality, it’s a reality that more than a few homes have to face – and it is worth addressing. Continue reading →

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Psychotropic Medication and Foster Children – Where Do You Stand?

Psychotropic Medication and Foster ChildrenThe use of psychotropic medication on children in foster care is a widely debated topic. Some feel that foster children are medicated simply to make it easier for their foster parents, school officials and caseworkers to handle their behavior. Others feel that these vulnerable young people, having been victims of abuse and neglect at the hands of the people they love the most, need medication to help them cope with what they’ve experienced. No matter what your opinion is on the matter, there is little argument that the long-term effects of these drugs on young people needs to be carefully studied and the benefits and drawbacks carefully assessed. Continue reading →

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The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)

Working Hand in Hand for Your Relative in Kinship Foster Care

The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC)You get an unexpected call informing you a relative who lives in another state has been placed into foster care. After the initial feeling of shock leaves, you realize immediate action must be taken. You want to bring the child into your home and give him the support he needs after such a traumatic experience, but you may be unsure of the steps involved. Continue reading →

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Loss and Grief Training for Foster Parents

Loss and Grief Training for Foster ParentsLoss is an unavoidable part of life, but that fact doesn’t make coping with it any easier. For those involved in foster care, the grief of loss is often associated with the child who was removed from his home.

However, not much thought was given to the loss felt by the foster parents who have watched as the child in their care for years was reunited with his parents. That is, until recently.

Across the country, states now offer different forms of loss and grief training focusing on the loss foster parents feel when a child is removed from their home. While foster parent message boards offer moral support, states have moved towards offering programs to truly help foster parents cope.

That wasn’t always the case. Continue reading →