Change a child's life! Reap the rewards of becoming a foster parent. Over 600,000 American children are in the foster care system each year—and the number is growing. So is the number of good-hearted people willing to become foster parents. But what does it take to become a foster parent? How does one begin? What about your own family? What does it cost? Success as a Foster Parent has the answers to these basic questions and much more. Written by Rachel Greene Baldino, MSW, in association with the National Foster Parent Association, it is the first and only commercially available book to clearly explain the process of becoming a foster parent. Readers will learn: • The questions to ask before making the decision to be a foster caregiver • How to research local state and private agencies • The financial cost and the compensation • The challenges involved in caring for children from infants to teens, including physically- and psychologically-challenged kids • Issues relating to schools, birth parents, supervisory visits, vacations, and dozens of other factors • All about adoption In addition to concrete information, there are dozens of moving stories drawn from interviews with veteran foster parents and tips about caregiving.

Raising Other People's Children helps you navigate the complicated world of foster and step-parenting with better awareness and greater empathy, providing real-life solutions for forging strong relationships in extraordinary circumstances. Drawing on Debbie Ausburn’s decades of experience with every facet of the foster care system, Raising Other People's Children provides expert guidance viewed through the lens of real human interactions. The responsibility and complexity involved in raising someone else’s child can seem overwhelming. Regardless of whether you’re a stepparent, foster parent or adoptive parent, it is on you to take on the challenge of caring for them, helping them to move forward while also meeting their unique emotional needs.

"A guide to state adoption and parenting adopted children"--Cover.

It's tough being a foster kid. In addition to dealing with the abuse, trauma and/or neglect in their home of origin, kids in the foster care system face the fear and uncertainty inherent in having one or more temporary family placements. For kids who never find a permanent home, but instead age out of the system, homelessness, unemployment, drug addiction, and debilitating mental health illnesses are often their reality as they enter adulthood. But that doesn't have to be their future! A Foster Kid's Road To Success teaches teens in foster care the most important life lessons needed to succeed after aging out.

Foster parenting is both a rewarding and a challenging job, a lifestyle of continuous learning and new experiences, and The Little Book of Foster Care Wisdom will be there to support you as you, in turn, support your foster children. Filled with 365 days' worth of daily tips, inspirational quotes, and motivational short stories from a foster care expert, this book is a must-read for modern child-welfare advocates, adoptive parents, and foster parents. It provides inspirational content every day, including instructions, tips, anecdotes, and more.

The Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study found that quality foster care services for children pay big dividends when they grow up. Key investments in highly trained staff, low caseloads and robust complementary services can dramatically reduce rates of mental disorders and substance abuse. This book offers a model foster care programme.

Foster parents face a unique set of circumstances and experience a wide array of emotions that few can relate to. Their journey is one of equal parts beauty and brokenness, joy and heartache, excitement and exhaustion. There is no textbook on how to be a foster parent, no formula, no simple three-step guide. But there is hope-in God's capacity to bring great beauty out of tragic brokenness. This is the gospel-the lens through which you can filter your foster parenting journey and ultimately find the strength, motivation, and courage you need to be sustained along the way. ReFraming Foster Care is a collection of reflections on the foster parenting journey designed to help you do just that-find hope-and to remind you that your work is worth it and you are not alone. This multi-faceted book can be read alone or used as a group support resource. Every chapter includes: Personal reflection questions Group discussion guides Plan of action exercises Real-life stories Inspirational quotes Whether your foster parenting journey has just begun or you've been on the road for quite some time, we pray this book can encourage, challenge, and inspire you along the way. For bulk orders of 10 or more books, visit www.reframingfostercare.com. Discounts apply.