...and she was a big help in getting things set up for my class...(continued from part two)

So, when it was time for Brandi to leave that home, the foster mom asked if we would take her for a few days. We reluctantly said yes, even though it wasn’t really our decision to make. For the few days that she was with us, we had a lot of fun with her, and talked a lot about what she wanted, plans for the future, and other things. We took her shopping, and bought her some clothes... more

(from first part)...appeared to be very strange.

While they were not your typical foster parents, they did care for the children and treated them pretty well. The foster dad was suddenly diagnosed with cancer, and passed away about three months after they found out he had the disease. This was actually the beginning of my involvement with Brandi, though she had gone with us many times when I picked her brother up for visits.

When the foster father died, she took it... more

I wrote a while ago about what I thought about reunification, based on what I had personally experienced. I received quite a few comments, and the consensus was that children are moved around too much, and it doesn’t seem that the system considers what is best for the child. Especially when they are placed back with relatives, after having been in care for several years.

I tried to write about my experience in a hypothetical way, but the fact is that it really happened, and my wife and I were... more

Last week, I was feeling sort of uninspired, and so I decided to try something new. I thought (to myself), “Why don’t I go to the CPS office with my laptop, and write about foster care from there?” It seemed like a great idea at the time, since my usual writing spot at the local café was getting too routine. So, I packed up my computer and went to the CPS office. I know what you’re thinking; “Why didn’t I think of this”, …right? Wrong. You didn’t think of it, because it’s a bad idea.

I walked into the lobby of the CPS office, which also doubles (or triples) as the family... more

We’re moving right along with the dependency process, and we’re now up to the preliminary protective hearing. The preliminary protective hearing is held within 5-7 days of the removal of the child. As the name implies, this is the first time that the court is actually involved in the case. They have received the petition, and know that a child has been removed based on the CPS investigation of a report... more

I did a lot of my posting for this week using the drip function, and also the automatic drip coffee method. As I lurked (read blogs, but did not comment) on the site, reading everyone’s blogs, I came across some things that I wanted to elaborate on or comment on, but felt that a comment on a particular blog was not enough.

I read Aleida’s blog about International vs. Domestic adoptions, and while I would probably adopt from the foster care system again, that is because of my experiences.... more

Reprinted with permission. There have been several studies done that focus on youth in foster care. One recent study by the Voices for America’s Children, highlights the critical needs of children in foster care, as they are at increased risk for poor outcomes later on in life. These children need high quality programs to ensure their physical and emotional well-being.

Some promising approaches have been identified. Among these are the following strategies:

Enhancing the well-being of children... more

"Reprinted with permission from Represent, Copyright 2005 by Youth Communication/New York Center, Inc. For more information visit Youth Communication

What We Think Teens in care talk about gay foster parents.

In an editorial meeting at Represent, one of our writers in a group home announced, “Everybody knows gay people make the best foster parents. They’re the only ones who don’t take kids in for the check.” Other writers agreed.

So it surprised us to find out that some people feel gay people... more

I mentioned in my bio that I was the vice-president of a non-profit to be, but I realized that I haven’t really talked about what it is that we want to do with our organization. We are currently incorporated as The Transitional Life Center, Inc. Our original idea was to have a residential group home-type setting, where the staff was well trained and well paid, and we could house children ages 8-16 on a temporary basis, until we found an appropriate foster home for them. We wanted to try to avoid what is happening here and in many parts of the country, where siblings are split up or... more

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. To help bring attention to this national problem, Childhelp USA has designated the first Wednesday of April the Childhelp USA National Day of Hope. On this day, people are invited to light three wick candles and observe a three minute moment of silence to recognize the three children that die each day in this country from neglect and abuse in their home.

Restaurants donate proceeds from certain tables to Childhelp treatment and prevention programs that benefit abused and neglected children.... more