In my original outline included with the initial application for the foster care blog position, I had listed a section on therapy. It was titled "What is a therapist and why do I need one?" It’s a good question, and one that I am sure Dr. G, over at the Adoptive Parenting blog will help out with.

Children coming into foster care are required to get counseling, yet many of them have no idea what it is, and why they need it. They have been recently removed from their biological families, and are not real open to talking to a stranger, especially about the situation that they are in (right, Dr. G?).

Anyway, the assigned therapist will try to build trust with the child, over time, and then attempt to help them deal with all that is going on in the child’s life. The question "why do I need a therapist?" is a good one, since if the family was involved in counseling when things started to get bad, maybe the child would still be at home.

But how does someone, such as a family experiencing difficult times, know about the services that are available to help them? Many families, and individuals in families, will not admit that there is a problem, since that would indicate that they are somehow flawed, or that they are weak and can’t take care of themselves or their families.

Not being able to take care of your family is not weakness or a flaw, but is sometimes a fact of life, due to unforeseen circumstances. Dad or Mom may get laid off or fired from a job, due to downsizing of companies, or a poor job market. Mom or Dad may have to start working, and not be around as much for the kids as he/she used to be. Kids may then be left at home unattended for short periods of time, just because of the work schedule of the parents. This is neither neglect nor abuse, but may be seen as such by neighbors or other not in the family.

One way to get parents information on services such as counseling, is through the local school. Most kids go to school. Of course, most children will forget to bring home information they are given at school, though usually it shows up at a later date (like when they finally clean out their backpack). Or, maybe some information is posted at the library. There is usually information of this type at Job Services and the local welfare office.

Good counseling is sometimes hard to find, and it is usually expensive. But there are services that are free or low cost, available through grants or health insurance. Check your local phone book for information on counseling services in your area.