Book Review of "A House Between Homes"

Hi everybody, I am posting today to recommend a book that I was able to read in the last few months titled A House Between Homes: Youth in the Foster Care System written by Joyce Libal and written as part of a series titled Youth with Special Needs. The book is short and to the point and is formatted in such a way that it is an easy read. This is perfect for me as I am as busy as anybody and I don't have time to sit down and read a novel. The Youth with Special Needs series is a series of 15 non-fiction books, all around 100 to 150 pages written by various authors. Each book focuses on challenges that some youth face ranging from physical disabilities such as blindness to mental disabilities such as autism or mental retardation. This particular book in the series, as stated in the title, focuses on the experience that youth (and children) have that are put in to the foster care system for whatever reason. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it to be very informative and understandable. Here are a few of the reasons why I enjoyed it:

Storyline: While the book does not claim to be anything more than non-fictional, I really appreciated the fact that before the meat of each chapter began, Libal started off telling the story of young Bobby and his sister Cara. While the story at times (especially the dialogue in the first chapter) was a little cheesy, the emotion was there and the portrayal of the events was as real as any fictional story can get. The author used the events that happened each chapter to Bobby and Cara to later describe the foster care system procedures, facts, and experience for the remainder of the chapter. All in all it worked very well. Throughout the book I felt bad for Bobby and Cara and I wanted to reach right in and take their hands to lead them to a better life. Some heart wrenching moments were the abuse and neglect that Cara received from her mother, the fatal car crash of their father right after he was about to take them home to live with him, and Cara's emotional trauma and struggles in school and fitting in. While this wasn't the largest section of each chapter, it was so crucial to the overall feel of the book and really tied everything together.

Informational Content and Value: If you are expecting a deep and highly academic book full of research data and a myriad of Greek letters and symbols that only fellow researchers can understand, you have picked up the wrong book. I personally have a hard time reading and understanding academic journals and research articles so this book was perfect for me. The book never seeks to change the views of the foster system or to offer anything new, the purpose of the book is to inform and it does so in an easy to understand way. The book utilizes headings and subheadings very effectively which makes it easy to understand and navigate. It also makes it perfect as a reference if you are looking to learn about a specific aspect of the foster care experience. There are some parts such as the Partial History of Foster Care found in the first two chapters (p. 18-20, 35-37) that are a bit fact heavy and less relevant to the overall book but it is good information just a bit tedious.
I really appreciated the sections about the experience and processes involved in foster care. In Chapter 3 titled The Discovery they provide an excellent list of what is required to be a foster parents and supports. Chapter 4 talks about the many different types of foster care and placements and also explains what I think is one of the most valuable pieces of information to know about foster care and kids: The Five Stages of Grief. While this was initially intended by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross for those who are dying or losing a family member to death, the book makes a phenomenal connection between those stages of grief and what children and bio parents experience when a child is placed into foster care. AMAZING! This information is so important to know becuase it helps those who are and would be foster parents to realize the source for many of the possible behaviors foster children are known to have e.g. Anger, Depression, Denial, etc. For those of you interested in the legal aspect of foster care there are two sections about that as well, Chapters 5 & 6.

Content Validity
Now, as far as citing and references are concerned, the book does a decent job of at in-text citations however there is not a reference list at the end of the book or chapter of the sources. It would've been nice to have those sources to be able to double check the reported findings with the research done however for the most part the book is pretty straightforward and factual. Obviously the introductions and the story of Bobby and Cara is fictional and is not pretentious in being non-fiction, but the rest of the book is comparable to a textbook in validity. I really appreciated the fact that the author gave reference in the appendix to other books about the foster care system that she suggests we read as well as a list of several websites that one can visit for more information. I couldn't find anything that contradicted research on the matter however I would have really appreciated more information about where they drew the correlation between the Five Stages of Grief and the experience of foster care.

Conclusion:
This is a nice and easy book which has very valuable information for the average person curious about how the foster system works and what the experience is like for youth in the foster system. You aren't going to find any mind-blowing new findings (although I was very surprised about the 5 stages of grief section) but then again the book isn't meant to be anything more than informational. For all you foster parents out there I recommend picking this one up if you have any questions about the process and experience of foster care, it is also perhaps a better guide for all of you looking to become foster parents.

Source:
Libal, J.  (2004). A house between homes: Youth in the foster care system.  Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers Inc.

Utah Foster Care Foundation

Hello everyone,

I was able to interview this week, Terumi Sagers, who is a long-time family friend.  I am grateful for her help and insight. She and her husband have been foster parents for fifteen years, and she currently works at the Utah Foster Care Foundation for the Salt Lake region.  She works in providing trainings for foster parents, and this is a short little bit of what she shared with me that may help be helpful for foster parents. I hope you enjoy. 

Video Clip

Utah Foster Care Foundation: utahfostercare.org

Book Review - Success As A Foster Parent: Everything You Need to Know About Foster Care

I read the book Success As A Foster Parent: Everything You Need to Know About Foster Care by the National Foster Parent Association. I found this book to be very useful for foster parents. It talks about getting into the foster care program, and all the steps required to join. There will be background checks, safety checks of your home, and many many visits from the organization to make sure you are a good fit for the program.
This book also goes through a list of "developmental milestones" and lists the ages at which a child should hit each stage. This is very useful because the child isn't with one parent from the beginning who knows to watch for these stages. Foster children go from one family to another and nobody is really there as a constant to watch for these milestones. Knowing what to expect from a child at each age will allow a foster parent to watch he child's development and make sure he/she is developing as they should.  If not then steps can be taken to find out if there is a medical issue or something else going on.
The rest of the book is focused on the purpose of foster care, and ways to ease the trials of it. The book reminds foster parents that even though a child may not be appreciative, they are still doing a service for the child and her/his family. It reminds parents to stay focused on their purpose of joining the program, and reminds them that even if they want a young child, sometimes the need is for someone to foster a teen. It's okay to be a little discouraged by this, but it doesn't take away from the importance of the work in any way. It reminds parents to stay pretty open minded with children, to remember that they come from a different background than the foster parent, and so there are going to be problems as they learn to live together. But it is possible to make it work.
Overall, this book was very useful. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is part of the foster care program, or thinking of joining. It's a fairly short book and a pretty simple read. But it contains lots of information that is very helpful.

What Does It Take To Become A Foster Parent?

In response to one of our reader’s question “Is there more to being allowed to become a foster parent than having the desire and maybe a clean record (as far as child related crimes go)?” I have decided to make a list of the qualifications that one needs to have to become a foster parent. Since I currently live in the state of Utah, USA I thought I would take a look at what the state foster care program required of individuals looking to become foster parents. Some of the qualifications listed on http://utahfostercare.org/become-a-foster-parent/how-to-start/qualifications/ are:

• Foster parents may be married couples or single individuals aged 21 or older. Unmarried couples are unable to be licensed.
• Foster parents must be US citizens or permanent legal residents.
• Foster parents and all persons 18 and older in the home must pass background checks.
• Foster parents need to be financially stable and able to support their family without assistance from the state.
• Foster parents need to be healthy enough to care for children as determined by their own doctor.
• Foster parents will not be licensed to do both foster care and day care at the same time.

They also go on to state what the living arrangement needs to pass to be a safe environment for the foster child to live. They state:

• Your home needs to be clean, in good repair, and free from health and fire hazards.
• There must be a telephone in your home.
• Children of the same sex may share a room, but each must have their own bed.
• Bedrooms must have at least 60 square feet per child. If a child is in a room by themselves, the room should be 80 square feet.
• Your home needs smoke alarms on each floor and at least one approved fire extinguisher.
• You will need to have a first aid kit in your home.
• Medications must be locked up.
• You will also need to lock away any dangerous chemicals – including many cleaning supplies.
• Any firearms and ammunition in your home need to be locked up separately.
• If you have a pool or hot tub, it must be gated or have a locking cover.

If these qualifications are met and one wants to pursue foster parenting over other options such as adoption or respite care then the website says that they will invite you to attend classes that will help you to become a licensed foster parent. They say, at least in Utah, it takes around 4 to 6 months to become licensed.

In the United Kingdom they also require future foster parents to go through a background check of sorts in what they call Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers). These checks include three types of criminal records checks from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and documentation provided from the individual such as a passport or Biometric residence permit (UK). Foster Parents are also required to get a health check and are required to attend group preparation sessions while their suitability for foster care will be assessed. Like the US this can take up to 6 months. The final decision rests on the fostering service whether or not the person can be a foster parent.

References

(Feb 21, 2014).  Foster Carers. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/foster-carers

(Feb 21, 2014).  Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks (previously CRB checks). Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview

How to Start. Retrieved from http://utahfostercare.org/become-a-foster-parent/how-to-start/

Qualifications. Retrieved from http://utahfostercare.org/become-a-foster-parent/how-to-start/qualifications/

Hey everyone,

I recently read a great book; you can check the review for it. Just take a look under our "Book Review" Section. Hope you enjoy; thanks!

-Courtney

The Effects of Multiple Placements

Children placed into the foster care system, often come from broken, unstable backgrounds. As such, they have little experience with a permanent environment in which they can learn and grow. While the foster care system aims to create such an environment for the children, it is far too often the case where the children are bouncing around from home to home with little time to commit to a single foster family. At times this may be due to respite care (homes where the child can go for very short amounts of time, e.g. the weekend or a week) wherein the placement is in definition temporary, but too many times homes that are supposed to be a more permanent situation for the child end up becoming a quick placement.

What effects do multiple placements have on the foster child? In a study performed in the year 2000 by Newton, Litrownik, & Landsverk titled "Children and Youth in Foster Care" a correlation was found between problem behavior and the number of placements a child had. The study was taken from a group of 415 youth that had entered foster care in San Diego, CA. They used the Child Behavioral Check List (CBCL) created by Achenbach in 1991 to measure the behaviors that each child experienced and they then compared that to how many placements they had in the first 18 months after being introduced to the foster care system (as taken from case records). 

They found that having multiple foster placements contributed negatively to internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the children. It is important to note that they divided the participants into two groups, those that have had 5 or more placements and those that have had less than 5 placements. The number of participants in these groups were 98 for those that have had 5 or more placements and 317 for those that had 4 or less placements. This shows that, at least in this study, the vast majority of children will experience less than 5 changes in placement, although, I would argue that 4 placements is still pretty high in the space of 18 months. The researchers noted that the relationship between behavior problems and placements may in fact be the other way around, however: Having more problem behaviors could in fact cause a child to experience multiple placements because it makes that child more difficult to take care of. Thus we see a continual downward spiral for those children that have behavioral problems as they are placed in multiple placements because of their behavior which in turn only makes that behavior worsen.

It is therefore doubly important that the children in the foster system, especially those that come into the system with severe behavioral problems, are placed into the homes of foster parents that are in it for the long haul. We need foster parents that can take these troubled children, give them a stable environment, realize the difference that they are making to the child without expecting gratitude or recognition, and turn these behaviors around so that the child can better survive in society. Sadly, these foster parents are few and far between. If only we could better educate future foster parents and give them the skills that they need to stick through the bad and the ugly of fostering troubled children. I believe that if we could that the foster care system would work more efficiently and that children and parents would both benefit immensely.

Sources

Achenbach, T. M.  (1991).  Manual for the Child Behavior Checklist. Burlington VT: University of Vermont Department of Psychiatry.

Newton, R. R., Litrownik, A. J., & Landsverk, J. A.  (2000). Children and youth in foster care: Disentangling the relationship between problem behaviors and the number of placements. Child Abuse & Neglect 24(10), 1363-1374.

Need for foster parents

We've had a few questions submitted from readers this week, and I would like to address one of those questions. Stephanie asked how many foster parents there are and if there's a need for more foster parents.


Thanks for the great question Stephanie! First I want to talk about the Child Welfare Information Gateway. They are a government organization that track all that information. The most recent data is from 2012, and at the end of the year there were 399,546 children in foster care. Throughout the year many children came into the program, and many were able to get out of the program and find a permanent home. There were about 254 thousand who entered the foster care program, and 241 thousand who left the program both through finding permanent homes, and becoming old enough to leave the program. That is a lot of children.


Within the foster care program the preferred placement is with relatives of the child. That being said, most of the time children are placed on nonrelative foster homes.

As this chart shows, most children are not placed with relatives. Only slightly over one quarter of all children in the foster program are placed with relatives. And only 6% are in the process of returning home through trial home visits. These children are returned home, but the State continues to supervise the child. After six months the child is considered to have left the foster care program.


Knowing that most children are placed in nonrelative families, we can see that there is a need for foster parents. There is a need for families to open their homes to take in these children. A quick google search shows that cities all around the country are asking for more families to join the foster program and take children into their homes. Most of the relative foster families only foster for that related child, and don't foster any more after that.


There are about 188,000 nonrelated foster families in the U.S. . But from the nonrelative families, many of these families end up adopting their foster child, and leaving the program, and others leave the program for a variety of reasons. Because of this there is a rather high turnover rate among foster parents, and retention is hard.


Because of the high turnover rate, there is always a great need for foster parents. These children need stable, safe homes to live in. If you know someone, or you yourself are interested you can learn more about joining the program at http://adoptuskids.org.










Sources:
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2013). Foster care statistics 2012. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.


"Foster Care." Foster Care. American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, May 2005. Web. 20 Feb. 2014.


"How Many Children Are in Foster Care in the U.S.? In My State?" Home. Children’s Bureau, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2014.


"Understanding Foster Parenting: Using Administrative Data to Explore Retention." Understanding Foster Parenting: Using Administrative Data to Explore Retention, Main Page. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Jan. 2005. Web. 22 Feb. 2014

Finding Balance

This week, I wanted to focus on a question that was left by a reader of our blog. She shared:

“I was a foster child for the last part of my teen years. I didn't feel like I was the foster kid, and truth, my foster family has continued to treat me like I am one of their own...The difficult part is integrating my biological family back into my life. It has been about 23 years since I became a "foster kid" and about 18 years since my bio family has been completely back in my life, although I never again lived with them.

I find it really hard to juggle the feelings between my love for my foster family and my love for my real family; especially trying to not hurt anyone's feelings… My question is all encompassing what I have shared above - is there some kind of class or support group to help people manage these relationships that, to me, assimilate a boat ride straight through the Bermuda Triangle some days? Seems I am always on some one's unmentionable list because I haven't figured out the perfect balance between them.”

Thank you, for sharing your personal experience, Stacie. You asked a great question.I tried to research a little bit on what may be out there because I am sure others may have a similar question. Most of what I found focused more on reunification, but I think this can be similar because both families are needing to adjust and find balance.

Back in 2004, a study was done looking at the role of attachment with infants and foster parents. One point that was stated was that the “foster child’s own attachment history” matters as well as “the foster parent’s state of mind regarding attachment, [which] has been found to be related to a foster child’s tendency to seek out a new caregiver when in distress” (Dozier & Stovall-McClough). I think this applies no matter the age of the child, and one important aspect to consider when blending biological and foster families is where the child is at. What is their level of attachment to their parent(s) and foster parent(s)? What should both families anticipate in this change? I don’t know that there is a clear cut way to solve the issue you bring up, but I do believe it begins with the two coming together and respecting one another in their roles.

In Adoptive Families Magazine, the authors of The Adoption Reunion Survival Guide noted some ways in which to help the process of reunification.  Although they were aimed at adoptive and biological families, I think it may be helpful as well for foster and biological families.  Here are several points they mentioned:

 1.  Remember that no two people are alike.  Don't make comparisons and gauge the success of your reunion relationship against another person's. There is no formula for success in reunion, only commonsense guidelines.

 2. Exercise caution, compassion, responsibility, and patience every step of the reunion journey. If you exercise these four principles, then you'll know that you've entered your reunion honorably, regardless of its outcome.

 3. Reunion should be embraced, not feared. Through reunion, many past fears and curiosities can be put to rest for all involved.

 4. Remember reunion may bring out the best or the worst in everyone. It unlocks emotions that have been buried for decades.

 5. Relationships aren't built overnight. This is particularly true of reunion relationships, which develop through stages over time.

 6. Have a good support system.

 7. Involve your family and close friends, and maintain an open line of communication with the people you care most about.

 8. Take baby steps in the relationships.

 Adoptive Families Magazine: "A Delicate Balance"

In NPR’s “Talk of the Nation” program, a foster mother illustrated the idea that the system often makes it feel that "there always seems to need to be a winner and a loser, people think that, you know, we can't just work better together" (NPR, Mar 2013).

You feel a pull for balance, but this is something foster parents and biological families can work to change. It is a difficult task, and team work is essential when building and maintaining relationships on both ends. Consideration and understanding view points, as well as each side trying to work together for the child's sake, at least. Although I couldn’t find exact classes on this, I know that the Utah Foster Care system has support groups. Family therapy can be a good resource if families need help fostering effective communication and other tools for adjustment. Perhaps even a blended families class can be taken such as is offered at the Family Support Center and other local facilities.  I think more can be done in addressing finding a balance, but I hope this may help a little bit. 

References:

Dozier, M.; Stovall-McClough, K. (2004). Forming attachments in foster care: Infant attachment behaviors during the first 2 months of placement. Development and Psychopathology, 16, 253-271.

NPR: Foster Care System: What Parents Wish We Knew

Keeping your confidence

For foster parents it can be easy to get discouraged. Children can be difficult, and this is compounded because the children you are caring for are not your own, and come from a difficult background. As you start fostering a new child there are a lot of adjustments that need to occur on both ends. The child needs to get used to a new home with new rules, and you as the parents need to get used to living with this child and dealing with his/her personality quirks and differences. 

At times you will feel discouraged and wonder about your abilities, but the important thing to remember is that you ARE doing good for the child, even if he or she doesn't realize it. Providing a stable home is better than leaving him in an orphanage. Remember that you ARE a good parent, even if there are disagreements between you and your foster child sometimes. Remember that it doesn't matter if she appreciates you for it or not, later in life she will realize what you did and be grateful for how you helped. It can be hard to want to stay in the program when you run into problems. But try to stay focused and remember that you did this to help a child. And you are helping him, regardless of if he recognizes it right now or not. It can be difficult to build a good solid relationship, and that's okay. Don't expect yourself to be perfect. Just try the best you can to reach out and befriend your foster child and be her friend. Be a role model and supportive adviser. Think of yourself as the fun aunt or uncle--there to support the child, but not trying to fill the "mom" or "dad" role. Remember that your foster child comes from a hard place and just needs someone to care for and support them. 

It's okay to feel discouraged and down on yourself as you are on this endeavor. Just try to remember that it is worth it. Everything will be okay. You can ask for help if you need it, and that's okay. You can do this. You are doing a great service, and we truly appreciate your sacrifice. Thank you. Keep a smile on your face. Everything will be okay :) You're doing a great job. 

Parenting Styles

By: Courtney

One aspect of foster parenting that can prove problematic centered on parenting styles.  Many may find themselves asking how you effectively parent the children that come into your home, especially children that are older in age and may have been in the system longer.  There are four typical styles of parenting: Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, and Neglectful.    Some may be familiar with these already.  However, just in case, authoritarian style is known as the strict parents with little warmth in return; permissive parenting is often thought of as the indulgent parent.  There are many limits, and there is great warmth.  Neglectful is pretty self-explanatory and authoritative style is known as providing a good level of warmth and providing limits.  Problem solved! Foster parents, all you have to do is choose… Not so simple, right?

Foster parents are in a position where children can come and go and boundaries can be unclear, in turn, how to parent a child can often be a tricky issue.  Research has shown that, particularly with adolescence, those in foster care can come from various backgrounds; some may have been exposed to neglect or abuse.  Often times, these youth don’t trust adults, and they’ve built up their own ways to adapt and protect themselves from harm or pain, emotionally and physically.  Sometimes a parent who shows warmth is looked as an enemy by a child in foster care.   In a study done in 2008, researchers found that at times a permissive parenting style “tends to be associated with the most beneficial outcomes for girls” leading to less internalizing and externalizing behaviors. For boys, however, “authoritative foster parents manifest fewer youth-reported internalizing and externalizing symptoms” (Gopalan, 2009).  For foster parents, it is important to look at all aspects of a child’s development and their background.  Try to understand where the child is coming from, and then work to find the best solution for how to handle parenting.  Overall,  “foster parents need to have sensitivity to think through children’s behaviors and caregivers’ own responses…and be prepared to promote cooperation and negotiation, rather than control or interference”(Gopalan, 2009).   Talk with other foster parents (or try the link below). Share experiences to see from different angles the parenting approches others used and if they may work for you, and keep in mind that, as with any child, what works for one may not work as well for another. 

 
Podcast: One Foster Couple's Approach to Parenting

Reference:

Gopalan, G. (2009). Foster parenting and adolescent mental health. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 1-374. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304863107?accountid=14677. (304863107).