Foster Parenting Tips & Skills

Gearing Up for School
Until the whole world is using year-round schooling, it’s historically that time of year that your children have returned to school. Along with a quiet house during the day, 15 minutes alone for coffee and maybe even time to catch up on laundry, it’s time to remind ourselves how to be the best advocators for our children. Here are some things to remember for each of your children:

Preparing our Teens for Life
As foster parents you sometimes accept the responsibility of raising a child until they are ready to leave the system. Did you receive that manual that gives you a checklist of things your child will need to know before heading out on their own? Me either. Even with our own biological children we forget some of the important skills they will need when they move off to college or get their first real job and move away from home. Here are some simple skills to remember when assessing your child’s strengths.

How to Make Positive Behavior Changes
It can be done and you're the key.

How to Handle Allegations Against Your Home
Any experienced foster parent can tell you that eventually you, or someone you know will receive an abuse or neglect allegation against your foster home. You are not alone. Sometimes the allegations are made by an angry child or parent, or are simply a misunderstanding. Try not to displace your anger on DCFS or the counselor sent out to investigate. Realize that every report must be investigated to ensure that the child is safe. Remember these tips when faced with allegations on your home

12 Skills for Successful Fostering & Adopting
Most of you remember learning skills for successful fostering and adopting during your foster parent training. These are invaluable skills that will help you to be better foster and adoptive parents. Refresh your memory with these twelve skills.

Organize Your Life
As foster parents, you are given the responsibility of knowing which child needs to be at the doctor’s office this week and which child has football playoffs in two weeks. At any given time you need to be able to tell a counselor or judge when a child came to your home, how they are doing in school, and whether they have any behaviors or needs. With overcrowding in our foster homes, this sometimes means that you could be caring for 5, 10, or even 15 or more children at once. Most people have trouble remembering their own doctor appointments, let alone those of 10 others! Follow these simple rules to make your life more organized and hopefully more enjoyable