If you are a foster parent, that has adopted one of the children that has come through your home, you need to investigate resources that may be available to your family. Post adoptive support may be available to your family. Lutheran Social Services is an agency that provides support to adoptive families. A lot of adoptive families do continue foster care after they have adopted, so a lot of these services can also benefit foster parents.

The have support groups for the parents, that meet on a regular basis and child care can be provided (YEAH!!). They can also help you get in touch with therapists, doctors with specialties, support groups for disabilities, specialized training and... more

A website called Fosterclub is a great website for everyone.

For foster children it provides information on a number of different issues that foster children face. There are contest for the foster child to get involved in. They have different opportunities for foster children to be involved in like 2007 Fosterclub All Star, awards for outstanding foster children, etc. They also provide a message board for foster children to communicate with other foster children.

They also have an area for adults, mainly foster parents. You can receive free online training for foster care. It provides foster care information and conference... more

We all need time for ourselves especially foster moms. We can so easily get caught up with all the responsibility and drama of foster care. It seems like you are getting pulled in every different direction. Every therapist, caseworker, bio parent, child, school personal, doctor and whomever else, telling how to do things their way, what is wrong with how you do things, and then telling you not to listen to other people. Most of the time you can ignore it, let it go but there are times that it gets overwhelming. This happens to us all at some point. Take the time to recharge yourself physically and emotionally. Sometimes it is easier to just keep going than allowing yourself sometime to... more

Through this book you will look in the life of a foster child. The insight you gain from looking through the eyes of a foster child. This boy started his life in the foster care system as a baby and he aged out. You will feel the regression that this child endured growing up in the system. How he dealt with the rejection of society, foster parents, birth parents, and siblings. You will start the journey with a young boy that has no idea what a family is, and you will follow the hard road to a life as a husband and a father. You will experience the pain of the death of a foster brother that he grew close to and understand how the system did not prepare him to live as a productive adult.... more

IF I HAD MY CHILD TO RAISE OVER AGAIN If I had my child to raise all over again, I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later. I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less. I would do less correcting and more connecting. I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes. I would care to know less and know to care more. I'd take more hikes and fly more kites. I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars. I'd do more hugging and less tugging. I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often. I would be firm less often, and affirm much more. I'd... more

It is that time of year again. Yes, training hours for foster care will be due at the end of the month. With our busy and crazy households you sometimes overlook your last few hours needed. Maybe, your just like me and wait until the last minute. I will give you a few ideas and web sites to check out. Please be sure and check with your agency to see if the training will count towards your needed hours. Reading books and doing a report on it is an idea. If your agency allows this they may have a form to fill out, so check with them.

http://www.fosterparentnet.org/

This foster care web page (above) offers a 3 credit... more