Foster Parenting

Whether a child has been in a loving and supportive home from day one or has been bounced from one house to another in the foster care system, parenting them is messy. A former street kid, Peter Mutabazi knows what it feels like to grow up in a world where love, caring, and kindness are nowhere to be found. But as the adoptive father of three and a foster dad to more than forty children, he also knows what a difference it makes when a child experiences the positive influence of an attentive and loving parent.

Ward of the State: A Memoir of Foster Care tells what happened to a little Black boy from the inner city of Detroit. This is the story of Karlos Dillard, who was severely neglected by his mother, who often left him and his siblings at home alone for weeks to fend for themselves. Enduring severe neglect and abuse, the boy was removed by the State of Michigan and put into foster care. Karlos was removed from his mother's care just to end up in foster homes that treated him worse. Karlos was told he was not loved, he was not wanted, and he was nothing but a ward of the state.

When 16-year-old Jess arrives on foster carer Maggie Hartley's doorstep with her newborn son Jimmy, she has nowhere else to go. Arriving straight from the hospital having just given birth, Jess is like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Scared, alone, and practically a child herself, she is overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for a newborn without the support of a loving family or her beloved boyfriend. With social services threatening to take baby Jimmy into care, Jess knows that Maggie is her only chance of keeping her son.

At just 10 years old, Kirsty has already suffered a lifetime of heartache and suffering. Neglected by her teenage mother and taken into care, Kirsty thought she had found her forever family when she is fostered by Pat and Mike, who she comes to see as her real mum and dad. But when Pat has a heart attack and collapses in front of her, Kirsty's foster family says it's all her fault. They blame her temper tantrums for putting Pat under stress and they don't want Kirsty in their lives anymore.

If you want to discover surprisingly simple yet effective ways to deal with tantrums and how to raise your child to his or her full potential, then pay attention...Maria Montessori changed the way the world understood education by emphasizing that young children can start early and learn through creative exploration. With a focus on child-driven engagement and carefully presented learning opportunities, you can use the Montessori Method and discipline to help your child get ahead and stay there.

If you have not read anything about the Baudelaire orphans, then before you read even one more sentence, you should know this: Violet, Klaus, and Sunny are kindhearted and quick-witted, but their lives, I am sorry to say, are filled with bad luck and misery. All of the stories about these three children are unhappy and wretched, and this one may be the worst of them all.

One of the greatest gifts of life is bringing a new life into this world. We put so much thought into babyproofing the home and making sure we have the safest and most comfortable car seat. So if we put that much thought into the things that stick around for only a few months, then why not put that much more thought into a name? What you name your handsome little boy will stick around for your child's life and will be heard each and every day.

Do you know what it takes to raise well a highly sensitive child? Are you confident that you can help your child reach their maximum potential, while also keeping them healthy and happy? If you are not quite sure about how to do so, then this book is the right choice for you. Highly sensitive children are often misunderstood not just by their peers, but also by their families, teachers, and caretakers.

With a bachelor's and master's degree in education and over 30 years of experience, plus training in trauma sensitivity, author and mother of two, Jennifer Alushan, is ready to give parents and caregivers proven techniques to effectively understand and authentically interact with children so the healing process can begin.

Three-year-old Lainie kicks and screams as she tightly grips the leg of her older sister, pleading to stay with her family as she’s surrendered to the foster care system. Lainie, a year later, is reunited with her family, only to live another five tumultuous years hungry, neglected, and desperate for love and attention. Houseless again, Lainie’s mother breaks her promise of forever when she gives her away again, this time, in a motel parking lot, never to live with her or her family again.

Jackson is aggressive, confrontational and often volatile. His mother, Kayla, is crippled with grief after tragically losing her husband and eldest son. Struggling to cope, she puts Jackson into foster care. Cathy, his carer, encourages Jackson to talk about what has happened to his family, but he just won’t engage. His actions continue to test and worry everyone. Then, in a dramatic turn of events, the true reason for Jackson’s behaviour comes to light....

Lucid Dreaming: Gateway to the Inner Self is the account of an extraordinarily talented lucid dreamer who goes beyond the boundaries of both psychology and religion. In the process, he stumbles upon the Inner Self. While lucid (consciously aware) in the dream state and able to act and interact with dream figures, objects, and settings, dream expert Robert Waggoner experienced something transformative and unexpected. He was able to interact consciously with the dream observer.

Discover the life-changing guidance you've been seeking. Are you longing for a deeper understanding of autism, practical strategies to foster your child's development, and effective communication techniques? Do you yearn for the knowledge and tools to be a steadfast advocate for your child's unique needs? This isn't just another book on autism–it's your essential roadmap to raising a child with autism, filled with empathy, relatability, and real-world strategies.

Ruth was a ghost of a girl when she arrived into foster mother Maggie Hartley's care. Pale, frail, and withdrawn, it was clear to Maggie that Ruth had seen and experienced things that no 11-year-old should have to, that she's been conditioned to "see no evil, speak no evil". Ruth is in desperate need of help, but can Maggie get through to her and unlock the harrowing secret she carries? Through love, reassurance, and patience, Maggie starts to unravel Ruth's painful past - a past defined by cruelty and abuse.

Just as you prepared your home to welcome a new child, it is important to prepare your heart and mind - especially if the child has suffered from a background of trauma. Perhaps your invitation for love is met with hostility and you find that this new member of your family rejects connection. It’s critical to acknowledge the effects of trauma on a child’s ability to attach. Mike and Kristin Berry realized this when they became adoptive and foster parents. They now offer guidance from their own journey to others parenting a child who has experienced past trauma.

Are you feeling drawn to adopt but your mind is afraid, confused, or overwhelmed by stories you've heard in the news and comments from other people? As an adoptive mom of a sibling pair, I am often asked about the foster care adoption process. I often share my own stories and stories I've been told from those I know who have navigated this journey. This is the basis for why this book came to life—to share stories with others who are considering adopting through the foster care system and to raise awareness about the children who are currently waiting in the system for their forever family.

Imagine being left by the person you love and bouncing back stronger than ever. Written by best-selling authors Dr. Elaine and Joe Foster, I Wish I Knew This Before My Divorce uses the latest advances in cognitive behavioral treatment to break the struggle between holding on and letting go. In this East-meets-West approach to finding serenity, the authors dissect the causes of your breakup, the myths that block your path to happiness and the steps you need to take to end your suffering.

The old psychological models that focused on past hurts and traumatic memories have given way to exciting new breakthroughs, like Dr. Martin Seligman's work on post-traumatic strength and Dr. George Pransky's work on human beings' innate resilience and well-being. No more fixating on psychic wounds that occurred in childhood. Chandler's new revision looks at the work of both of those pioneers and makes optimism available to people who never believed they could reinvent their old ways of being.

Beyond the Honeymoon takes you inside the real experiences of foster families navigating the challenging behaviors that emerge when children finally feel safe enough to show their pain. From food battles and screen time wars to building trust with children who have every reason not to trust, this book offers practical, trauma-informed strategies that actually work in real homes with real families.

The level of cooperation parents get from their children is usually equal to the level of connection children feel with their parents. Connection Parenting is based on the “Meeting the Needs of Children” 7-week proactive parenting series that Pam Leo has taught for nearly 24 years. The premise is that meeting children’s biological need for emotional connection creates the healthy, strong parent-child bond children need to thrive and that bond is also the key to effective parenting.