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has resulted in 16 documents from our Library.
| 1 | |
| Document Title: | Parents Who Have 'Been There' Help Parents There Now |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Describes the Parent Engagement Education and Resource (PEER) support unit in Washington, DC, a new approach being used by the city's Child and Family Services agency to assist birth parents working toward reunification. PEER is staffed by parents with personal experience with the child welfare system who can empathize with birth parents and what they are going through. PEER provides parenting support, advocacy, and coaching to birth parents as they navigate the family court and child welfare systems and work to reunite with their children. Sometimes these parents are struggling with trauma, poverty, substance use, mental illness, or domestic violence, but...more |
| Available Online | |
| 2 | |
| Document Title: | Finding Foster Families Who Gave Me the World |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Miguel came to the United States from an orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico, after his mom died from an overdose. Miguel was picked up by a man he thinks could have been his father and illegally brought into the United States. He first lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and then moved to Wyoming with his dad's friend who was abusive. Child protective services removed Miguel from the abusive home and he was placed in foster care. He was raised by two different foster families that supported him along the way, and he is now married, runs an auto repair shop, has a pilot's...more |
| Available Online | |
| 3 | |
| Document Title: | Help, Hope, and Healing for Birth Parents |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | One family in Richmond, Virginia, learned the importance of working with biological families after they received their first foster placement, a 2-day-old girl. The baby's birth mother, Patty, had suffered much hardship and trauma throughout her life. Even after 7 weeks, when the baby girl returned home to Patty, the foster family stayed close, helped connect Patty with resources, and moved her and her daughter into safer housing. Tragically, Patty passed away from complications related to the flu just 9 months later, but she left the foster family with a desire to partner with biological mothers in the future. The family...more |
| Available Online | |
| 4 | |
| Document Title: | Health, Happiness, and Healing |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Gives the perspective of two foster parents who discovered helping children in their care means working to mend and promote healthy relationships with biological family members. The couple says collaborating with the biological family of a child in foster care made a huge difference in interactions with social workers and birth family members. Nurturing the collaboration took a lot of work, phone calls, and conversations, but all the dedication paid off. Building trust between the foster family, the child, and the birth family made the goal of health and happiness more attainable. This Real-Life Story was developed as part of National...more |
| Available Online | |
| 5 | |
| Document Title: | One Day at a Time, Every Single Day |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Presents the story of a woman who was formerly in foster care who overcame many struggles, including poverty, mental illness, and abuse. The statistics were stacked against her as she grew up in the foster care system and moved through 35 different placements and four failed adoptions. When she graduated from high school, she was 19 years old and living out of her car. But she found her inner strength and started teaching a social media class on compassion and change and created an immersive art piece titled, "My Sky Is Falling," which she performed on the street in front of...more |
| Available Online | |
| 6 | |
| Document Title: | Planting Seeds for a Family to Water |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Available Online | |
| 7 | |
| Document Title: | Beating the Odds: Overcoming Improbability to Achieve Great Things |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Tells the story of one youth formerly in foster care who has earned two college degrees and is enrolled in a master of social work program at the University of Southern California. Statistics show that 97 percent of youth who have been in foster care will not complete college, but this youth was able to beat those odds with help from her college counselor, Elizabeth. After this youth left foster care, Elizabeth became a mentor, teacher, and inspiration. Elizabeth helped with challenges such as budgeting money, locating housing, and providing emotional support. Elizabeth has since attended every college graduation and remains...more |
| Available Online | |
| 8 | |
| Document Title: | One BIG Family: A Foster Mother's Journey With 200 Children |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Highlights one foster family that has taken in more than 200 children over the course of 27 years. Claudia and Lin already had three biological children when they decided to become a foster home in 1984. When they welcomed the first child into their care, it opened their eyes to the benefits fostering could provide. While fostering, Lin and Claudia served as advocates for their children and tried to help their children's biological families heal by including the birth parents in family activities and events. In 2008, Claudia and Lin were named Foster Parents of the Year by the Council of...more |
| Available Online | |
| 9 | |
| Document Title: | Changing Identities: Accepting the Past and Advocating for a Better Future |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Presents the story of a woman who was formerly in foster care who is now working to make a difference as an advocate for children in foster care. Growing up in the child welfare system, she felt worthless, had difficulty trusting others, and was full of self-doubt. Despite this adversity, her foster family, teachers, and spiritual leaders helped her learn to believe in herself again. Her mentors helped her as she graduated from high school, college, and graduate school. Now, she speaks out in support of youth in foster care and urges others to make a positive impact as well. She...more |
| Available Online | |
| 10 | |
| Document Title: | Changing Labels: From Transitioning Youth to Transforming Families |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Shares the experiences of a transition-age youth formerly in foster care who lived in a new home and attended a new school every year through high school. The instability she went through made her determined to help prevent other children in foster care from going through the same thing. She began working as a community liaison for 3:11 Youth Housing, a nonprofit that provides safe, affordable housing to youth who have aged out of foster care in Kent County, Michigan. Her experiences in the child welfare system have helped her to develop and implement policies and procedures to engage youth in...more |
| Available Online | |
| 11 | |
| Document Title: | Redefining Kin to Maintain Family Connections |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Highlights one woman's foster care placement as a young adult with a family she describes as her own "kin." As a teenager in Texas, she was asked to choose between remaining in a kinship placement with a member of her biological family and changing to traditional foster care with a family not biologically related to her. She chose to move into foster care. She says her foster family is the one she considers her true family, and they have redefined the meaning of the word "kin" for her. Her foster family encouraged her to maintain connections with her biological family members...more |
| Available Online | |
| 12 | |
| Document Title: | The Sum of All Parts: Finding Myself Through Search and Reunion |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Describes one man's search for his biological family after being adopted as an infant. Robert was adopted in New Jersey, and his adoption records were sealed. At age 52, he located his birth mother in Texas, but, sadly, she had died at the young age of 43. Eighteen years later, a DNA test led him to the identity of his birth father, who had also passed away, and a brother he had never known, who died 14 months earlier. Discovering the deaths of these family members was painful, but Robert says the search allowed him to uncover his authentic self. Since...more |
| Available Online | |
| 13 | |
| Document Title: | Rising From the Ashes |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Describes the abuse one woman faced while growing up in out-of-home care and how she overcame her past. After entering the child welfare system at age 2, she was abused by her foster mother and another relative. She was sexually assaulted by her older foster brothers, and she suffered additional trauma. After being removed from the home, she was raped at age 14 and bounced between group homes and several foster homes. Still, today, she is strong. She graduated from high school, secured a job, and is now a successful mother, author, and founder of a nonprofit. She describes herself as...more |
| Available Online | |
| 14 | |
| Document Title: | Three Little Words: My Life in Foster Care and as a Foster Parent |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Highlights the story of a woman who grew up in foster care who was inspired to become a social worker, advocate, and foster/adoptive parent. Growing up, she was placed in 14 different homes, some of them abusive. She decided to become a foster parent when she and her husband, Erick, were in their early 20s, and since then they have cared for more than 25 children and adopted 1. In 2015, she founded a nonprofit, The Foundation for Sustainable Families, which works to bridge service gaps, encourage wellness, and provide educational opportunities for children and youth. She also chronicled her experiences...more |
| Available Online | |
| 15 | |
| Document Title: | A Voice for the Voiceless: Joseph Head's Story |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Tells the story of Joseph Head, a 34 year old from Dallas, Texas, who was placed in foster care at age 2 after being raised in an abusive home. He went through several foster homes, juvenile youth homes, and was involved with the juvenile justice system in Texas. Finally, he met the woman he calls his angel, Natalie Stolinsworth, a court-appointed special advocate volunteer in Dallas County. Natalie helped Joseph see his worth. She helped remove his self-doubt and showed him that he could have a promising future, despite his difficult past. Now, Joseph is a college graduate who teaches for...more |
| Available Online | |
| 16 | |
| Document Title: | Becoming a Team: Working Together Toward Reunification |
| Corporate Author: | Child Welfare Information Gateway. National Foster Care Month : 2019. |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
| Abstract: | Details one mother's experience working with her son's resource family to achieve reunification. The mother was in an abusive relationship, and due to pressure to bring money into the home, she began stealing. She was caught and arrested, and because of this, her son, King, was placed in a foster home. The mother was upset, but she soon realized King's foster parents, Darius and Linda, just wanted what was best for him. She began to see Darius and Linda as her partners. They attended birthdays and holidays together, and Darius and Linda helped her earn a high school equivalency, a dental...more |
| Available Online | |