Adoption and fostering Books

Book SynopsisAs an adoptee, do you have mixed feelings about your adoption? If you do, you are not alone - adoptees often experience complex feelings of grief, anger, and questions about their identity. Sherrie Eldridge is an adoptee and adoption expert, and in this book she draws on her personal experiences and feelings relating to adoption as well as interviews with over 70 adoptees. Sherrie reveals how you can discover your own unique life purpose and worth, and sets out 20 life-transforming choices which you have the power to make. The choices will help you discover answers about issues such as: Why do I feel guilty when I think about my birth parents? Why can't I talk about the painful aspects of adoption? Where can I gain an unshakable sense of self-esteem? Sherrie also addresses the problem of depression among adoptees and common dilemmas such as if, when and how to contact a birth mother or father. This fully updated second edition includes new material on finding support online, contacting family through social media, and features three new chapters, including Sherrie's story of reuniting with her birth brother, Jon, in adulthood.Trade ReviewTwenty Life-Transforming Choices Adoptees Need to Make is indeed life-transforming for those who will take advantage of the wisdom contained therein. The practical help given in chapters six and seven alone are worth the price of the book! So often as adoptees we can struggle with a lack of understanding from those who are not adopted, and how to respond to triggering statements or actions. Sherrie's wisdom on these issues is spot on. Adoptees will find great solace in her words and real help for the plethora of issues we deal with post-adoption. I am so very grateful for this amazing resource! -- Deanna Doss Shrodes, Blogger, Adoptee Restoration, Author, Worthy to Be FoundAlthough geared toward adoptee concerns and beliefs, Sherrie Eldridge's latest book provides practical and spiritual information helpful to both adoptive and birth families. Social workers, therapists, and adoption professionals will find this book an important companion piece to Ms. Eldridge's first book, Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew. -- Dirck Brown, Ed.D., author Clinical Practice in Adoption; founder, Post Adoption Center for Education and Research (PACER)As an adoptive mom and singer/songwriter and speaker at adoption conferences, I am once again VERY grateful for the honest and extremely helpful nature of Sherrie's latest book, Twenty Life-Transforming Choices Adoptees Need to Make. Her previous books have been instrumental in preparing me and assisting us after the fact in our own family's adoption of two siblings who'd suffered greatly. As our children grow and comprehend more of their past, present, and future, Sherrie's insights and significant research continue to be an indispensable part of the healing, understanding, and hope-inspiring process for our entire family. -- Becky Wright, Singer/Songwriter/Speaker Founder of Tahlequah Orphan & Adoption Ministries Department of Artists in Christian Testimony, InternationalOnce again Sherrie Eldridge has written a very helpful book for the adoption community. This time her efforts have been directed toward adoptees and the twenty ways in which she encourages them to take control of their own healing. -- Nancy Verrier, M.F.T., author of The Primal Wound and Coming Home to SelfSherrie Eldridge speaks what so many of us wish we'd been able to explain to our adoptive parents. This has helped me tremendously as an adoptive mother myself now. -- Rebecca Kiessling, Founder and President of Save The 1, Co-Founder of Hope After Rape Conception, International Speaker and Attorney, Adoptee and Adoptive Mother.Sherrie Eldridge, the adoption expert who has so ably helped adoptive parents better understand their children's needs, is back again, helping other adoptees to learn from her own journey through search and reunion with her latest guide,Twenty Life-Transforming Choices Adoptees Need to Make. It's a well-written guide for adoptees of all ages, empowering them to grow in positive new directions-- regardless of the outcome of their search. If adoption is your mountain, Sherrie Eldridge is your best possible sherpa, for few understand all of its peaks and passes the way Sherrie does, and her sage advice can help you reach your own summit. -- Elizabeth Jurenovich, Ms, LCPAA, LPC, LMFT Executive Director Abrazo Adoption AssociatesSherrie has written an honest book of courage, trust, and hope. Her practical ideas, deep insights, and all-embracing sensitivity will be of great assistance to adoptees as they construct their life stories. Her core message: Do not look away; discover who you are. -- Dan Hughes, Ph.D., author of Building the Bonds of Attachment and Focused Family Therapy WorkbookThis is a powerfully written book. Sherrie's revealing documentation of her insights for adoptees combined with her own and others' intimate, personal experiences dramatically highlights her difficult but liberating journey. -- Dale E. Theobald, Ph.D., M.D., Senior Medical Director for Community Home Health Services and Palliative Care at Community North Health Network, Indianapolis, Indiana.It is impossible to articulate how life-changing Sherrie Eldridge's book has been for me! This book gave voice to my thoughts, emotions, and actions that were holding me back from fully living the life I was created to live. Eldridge uncovers the common threads adoptees hold on to throughout our lives, including grief, loss, rejection, fear, hope and love. Many clients say, "I wish I had known about this resource years ago". -- LeAnne Parsons CPC, ELI-MP, The Walk Your Talk Coach, Legacy Now Lived™Table of ContentsPART 1: Our lifelong search for truth. 1 Caught unaware, 2 Preparing to grow. PART 2: Twenty truths and twenty choices that can transform. 3 Thoughts about our birth parents are innate, 4 Painful feelings about our adoption are normal, 5 Learning about adoption dynamics will help us relax, 6 It may often seem like no one 'gets it', 7 Share deep feelings only with "safe" people, 8 We can control our anger -- really!, 9 We can get unstuck from our painful past, 10 Many of us experience echoes of loss, 11 An Hour with a Fellow Adoptee Is Better Than Therapy, 12 False guilt shouldn't stop us from considering a reunion 13: Search and reunion may become a top priority, 14 We don't need to fear seeming ungrateful or disloyal, 15 We must give up being pleasers, 16 Taking concrete steps toward obtaining our pre-adoption history requires courage... we can do it!, 17 When we feel overwhelmed we must be gentle with ourselves, 18 Birth relatives may reject us, but there's someone who never will, 19 The word "rejection" may not be in the vocabularies of other birth relatives!, 20 Letting go of our birth mother's original decision will set us free, 21 Our footsteps are unique across the sands, 22 We can help others by being transparent, Appendix, Notes

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Book SynopsisMany people say being a parent is the toughest job there is. John DeGarmo, foster and adoptive parent, tells us just how tough it can be, having parented over 40 children. At times he and his wife, Kelly, have cared for up to nine children at a time, many with severe trauma and learning difficulties. Love and Mayhem is an honest and open account of the struggles, sadness and joy that comes with the job of being a parent to a traumatized child. From the sleepless nights with babies withdrawing from drug-addiction, to the heartbreak when a child moves on to another home, and the loving chaos that comes with a large and blended family, John DeGarmo fights for the many children who have come through his home.Ideal for foster families, general readers, fostering agencies and social workers who are looking for a true to life memoir of what it really is to be a foster parent.Trade ReviewTruly inspiring- John and Kelly DeGarmo go to extraordinary lengths to love broken children into wholeness and to teach others how to do the same. -- Rhonda Sciortino, author of Succeed Because of What You've Been ThroughSo many emotions abound in this book: joy and sorrow, trust and fear, elation and anger, confidence and uncertainty, energy and exhaustion, confirmation and questioning.... all reflect an honest view of foster parenting. Foster parents will love this book as it confirms everything they experience that others do not understand. For others it provides a true picture of the life of a foster family. Kudos to John DeGarmo for this well-written, entertaining and honest book. -- Irene Clements, Foster Care Consultant and President, National Foster Parent Association, USAJohn DeGarmo has established himself as an expert on foster care and adoption, yet he calls foster parenting the hardest thing he's ever done. Any foster parent I've ever known or read about would whole-heartedly agree with DeGarmo's assessment. In Love and Mayhem: One Big Family's Uplifting Story of Fostering and Adoption, DeGarmo tells stories from the front lines, as his family has fostered dozens of children through the years. On one level, DeGarmo's experience might discourage potential foster parents from entering the fray. Foster parenting can be full of heartbreak. DeGarmo does not gloss over the pain and ugliness of fostering. Yet the love and healing that foster children can find in families like the DeGarmos' is crucial and undeniable. DeGarmo describes the rewards and satisfaction of fostering in spite of the pain. Would that more families followed the DeGarmos' example and took up the mantle of fostering in cities across the country. -- Paul Mastin, adoptive parentTable of ContentsContents, Acknowledgments, Preface, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapter Ten, Chapter Eleven, Chapter Twelve, Chapter Thirteen, Chapter Fourteen, Chapter Fifteen.

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Book SynopsisTherapeutic Residential Care For Children and Youth takes a fresh look at therapeutic residential care as a powerful intervention in working with the most troubled children who need intensive support. Featuring contributions from distinguished international contributors, it critically examines current research and innovative practice and addresses the key questions: how does it work, what are its critical “active ingredients” and does it represent value for money? The book covers a broad spectrum of established and emerging approaches pioneered around with world, with contributors from the USA, Canada, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, Israel and the UK offering a mix of practice and research exemplars. The book also looks at the research relating to critical issues for child welfare service providers: the best time to refer children to residential care, how children can be helped to make the transition into care, the characteristics of children entering and exiting care, strategies for engaging families as partners, how the substantial cost of providing intensive is best measured against outcomes, and what research and development challenges will allow therapeutic residential care to be rigorously compared with its evidence-based community-centered alternatives. Importantly, the volume also outlines how to set up and implement intensive child welfare services, considering how transferable they are, how to measure success and value for money, and the training protocols and staffing needed to ensure that a programme is effective.This comprehensive volume will enable child welfare professionals, researchers and policymakers to develop a refined understanding of the potential of therapeutic residential care, and to identify the highest and best uses of this intensive and specialized intervention.Trade ReviewWhittaker, Del Valle and Holmes, together with their contributors, address key challenges related to how well-designed, short-term group care interventions can help children address severe emotional and behavioral conditions. Their careful attention to treatment design and measurement showcase strategies that can be readily applied to improve service quality and outcomes. -- Peter J. Pecora, School of Social Work, University of Washington, USAThis book makes an important contribution to one of the critical issues in the field of child welfare. It engages with many of the challenges of caring for very troubled young people who require resource-intensive support. -- From the Foreword by Robbie Gilligan, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College, DublinOffers greater understanding of a rich and varied field of residential child practice. -- Scottish Journal of Residential Child CareTable of ContentsForeword by Robbie Gilligan, Trinity College, Dublin. Part 1. Introduction. The Current Landscape of Therapeutic Residential Care: James K Whittaker, Jorge F. del Valle and Lisa Holmes. Part 1. Pathways to Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 1, Making Sense of Differential Cross-National Placement Rates for Therapeutic Residential Care: Some Take Away Messages for Policy, June Thoburn, Professor Emeritus, University of East Anglia and Frank Ainsworth, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Chapter 2. Needs and characteristics of high-resource users: Spain, Jorge F. del Valle, Amaia Bravo and Ana Sainero, University of Oviedo,Spain. Chapter 3. Needs and characteristics of high-resource using children and youth: North America, John Lyons, University of Ottawa, Canada, Chapter 4. Benarand characteristics of high-resource using children and youth: Denmark, Mette Lausten, Danish National Centre for Social Research, Chapter 5. Part 2. Promising Program Models and Innovative Practices. Varieties of Nordic Residential Care, Turf Jakobsen, Danish National Centre for Social Research, Chapter 6. MultifunC - Multifunctional Treatment in Residential and Community Settings: Norway, Tore Andreassen, Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, Chapter 7. The Family Home Program: An Adaption of the Teaching Family Model at Boys Town, Ronald W. Thompson, Director, Boys Town National Research Institute and Dan Daly, Executive Vice President and Director of Youth Care, Boys Town, Nebraska, Chapter 8. A New Era in the Development of Therapeutic Residential Care in the State of Victoria: Australia, Patricia McNamara, La Trobe University, Australia, Chapter 9. Evidence-based Practices in Therapeutic Residential Care, Sigrid James, Loma Linda University, California, Chapter 10. Creating and maintaining family-staff partnerships in Residential Treatment Programs: Shared Decisions, Full Participationm Mutual Responsibilty, Richard W. Small, The Walker School, Massachusetts, Christopher Bellonci, MD, Tufts University, Massachusetts and President, American Association of Children's Residential Centers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Susan Ramsey, The Walker School. Part 4. Preparing Youth For Successful Transitions from Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 11. Relationship between Adult Outcomes of Young People Making the Transition to Adulthood from Out-of-Home Care and Prior Residential Care, Nathanael Okpych and Mark Courtney, University of Chicago, Chapter 12. Supportive Pathways for Young People Leaving Care: Lessons Learned from Four Decades of Research, Mike Stein, University of York, UK, Chapter 13. Listening to young people in care in Israel: a brief note from research about successful transitions to adulthood, Anat Zeira, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Part 5. Critically Examining the Current Research Base for Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 14. Uncovering What is Inside the 'Black Box' of Effective Therapeutic Residential Youth Care, Annemiek T. Harder, Assistant Professor and Erik Knorth, University of Groningen, Netherlands, Chapter 15. Improving the Research Base for Therapeutic Residential Care: Logistical and Analytic Challenges Meet Methodological Innovations, Bethany R. Lee and Richard P. Barth, University of Maryland, USA. Part 5. Calculating Costs for Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 16. Estimating Unit Costs for Therapeutic Residential Care, Lisa Holmes, Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR), Loughborough University perspectives and commentaries by: Richard W. Small and Christopher Bellonci: North America, Laura Palareti, University of Bologna and Chiara Berti, University of Chieti-Pescara: Italy, Andrew Kendrick, University of Strathclyde: Scotland, Frank Ainsworth and Deirdre Cheers: Australia. Part 6. Linking Focused Training and Critical Evaluation in Therapeutic Residential Care: A Foundation for Staff Support. Chapter 17. Helping staff to connect quality, practice and evaluation in therapeutic residential care: the SERAR model in Spain, Amaia Bravo, Jorge F. del Valle & Iriana Santos, Child and Family Research Group, University of Oviedo, Spain, Chapter 18. A European perspective on the context and content for social pedagogy in therapeutic residential care, Hans Grietens, University of Groningen, Netherlands, Chapter 19: Engaging the total therapeutic residential care program in a process of quality improvement: Learning from the Care Model, Martha Holden, Michael Nunno and Charles Izzo, Cornell University, New York and James Anglin, University of Victoria, Canada, Chapter 20. Outcomes Management in Residential Treatment: The CANS Approach, John Lyons, University of Ottawa, Canada. Part 8. Conclusion. Shaping the Future for Therapeutic Residential Care, James K Whittaker, Jorge F. del Valle and Lisa Holmes

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Book SynopsisPacked full of great ideas for fun games and activities, this book encourages positive attachments between a parent or carer and their child. When it comes to choosing the best games to play with children who have difficulties attaching, it is often hard to know how to play with a purpose. This book contains fun, age-appropriate games along with an explanation of why they matter. All the games included are designed for specific age ranges, from infants to older children, and help to address particular needs in children that are known to affect attachment, including fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. It provides an easy-to-understand description of attachment and reveals the crucial role that play has in forming attachments. Written for parents and carers, as well as for use by professionals, it is full of strategies to help build healthy attachments in children who have experienced early trauma.Trade ReviewFinally a book to engage children in building attachments with their parents through playing games. This book is practical and offers fun activities to encourage closer relationships between parents and children. -- Dr. Sue Cornbluth, National Parenting Expert in Childhood Trauma, USAWhen children are exposed to poor care very early in life, they have to suppress two very important processes that normally help children to feel safe with and enjoy their relationships with caregivers: separation distress which engenders the need for comfort and playfulness which leads to joyful connection. In this book, the authors focus on the playfulness side of parent-child connections, offering a wealth of practical, hands-on ways for caregivers to engage children in playful interactions. Parents and therapists who work with children exposed to poor care early in life will find this book extremely helpful. -- Jonathan Baylin, PhD, psychologist and coauthor of Brain Based ParentingIn a culture which is heavily focused on how to teach our children, or how to discipline them, the importance of play and joy in connection can get lost. All children, and especially children who have difficult early parenting experience, need connection and to discover the joy in relationship. Within this book Deborah Gray and her colleagues have delightfully put play at the centre of family life. There are lots of ideas for games tailored to age and with specific difficulties in mind. More importantly perhaps these ideas can act as a springboard for families to invent their own unique way of bringing fun into their lives. -- Kim S. Golding, Clinical Psychologist...really interesting, to the point, succinct... includes games for bonding with your child; between an adult/parent, games for the whole family, games for siblings... would be really beneficial for... a support group, foster carers doing foster parent training or skills to foster, prospective adopters... or a social work team. 7 out of 10. -- Al Coates, Adoptive parent and blogger at Misadventures of an Adoptive DadGames and Activities for Attaching With Your Child is a critical tool for anyone who is looking to nurture attachment with an adopted, biological or foster child. Deborah D. Gray, an expert in the field of attachment and adoption, along with her co-workers, have written an easily understandable and accessible book about games that can help children attach even in the most difficult of circumstances. They clearly lay out the importance of play for children and how it supports brain development, good social skills and the ability to connect with loved ones in order to aid in healthy connections. Step-by-step, from infancy to teens, they lay out activities for families to play in a fun, engaging and meaningful manner. What I like best is that it tells you how to use these activities for children all across the spectrum, from "normal" children to those who are detached and afraid to connect and have been hurt by trauma. As a social worker I have used some of these games and activities with my own clients to excellent effect but best of all, have shown parents how to play with their children where it counts the most which is with each other at home. As a foster mom I can say that these games work and have enhanced my relationships with my children. -- Karen Oil, Licensed Independent Clinical Social WorkerTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction. Chapter 1: Bonds, Attachment and Play. Chapter 2: The Value of Play. Chapter 3: Connecting the Two of You. Chapter 4: Connecting the Whole Family. Chapter 5: Connecting Siblings. Chapter 6: Activities to Help with Mood and Flexibility. Chapter 7: Building Attachment When Children Have Had Exposure to Toxins. Addendum. Resources.

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Book SynopsisHow Does Foster Care Work? is an international collection of empirical studies on the outcomes of children in foster care. Drawing on research and perspectives from leading international figures in children's services across the developed world, the book provides an evidence base for programme planning, policy and practice.This volume establishes a platform for comparison of international systems, trends and outcomes in foster care today. Each contributor provides a commentary on one other chapter to highlight the global significance of issues affecting children and young people in care. Each chapter offers new ideas about how foster care could be financed, delivered or studied in order to become more effective.This book is important reading for anyone involved in delivering child welfare services, such as administrators, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, children's advocates, academics and students.Trade ReviewThe authors conclude with the hope that the findings which are reflected in this volume have the potential to bring a greater understanding of the complex interplay of those factors that nurture or impede the well-being of children in care. They anticipate that it would impact positively on care planning, the provision of services, the development of policy and future research. We know that foster care works. This book may very well make it work better. -- Aotearoa New Zealand Social WorkThis is a must-read for any social worker who desire greater understanding of the theoretical principles and empirical evidence that undergird foster care today in a number of developed countries... We know that foster care works. This book may very well make it work better. -- Aotearoa New Zealand Social WorkEach study scrupulously teases out the different variables affecting outcomes. The volume ends with a synthesis of research findings giving direction for policy, practice and research... My personal preference is for those studies that powerfully convey the experience of children, such as chapters by Fernandez on Growing up in Care and by Ward and Munro on Very Young Children in Care in England. The latter highlights the instability that was a feature for many infants, with 45 per cent having four or more placements. The consequences of placement disruption and instability on relationships, emotional and behavioural health, and education are a theme in a number of chapters. This mirrors recent findings in Hannon et al. . 2010 and gives even greater weight to the authors' call for measures to improve placement stability. Pecora et al. in their chapter on Rates of Emotional and Behavioural Disorders among Alumni of Family Foster Care in the United States make comprehensive recommendations for policy and practice to improve the mental and emotional health of young people in care, which I warmly commend. Various authors comment on both the positive and negative aspects of contact, with Farmer arguing persuasively In her chapter on Fostering Adolescents in England for differential approaches to contact decisions, to support grandparent contact and promote children's links with extended family members. The volume clearly demonstrates the value of studying fostering cross-nationally and will be of interest to policy makers, commissioners of care services, practitioners and researchers. -- Wiley Online Library, Child Abuse ReviewFoster care practice needs both an international perspective and an evidence base to allow us to learn and develop. This book supports both of these objectives. -- Children & Young People NowTable of ContentsPart 1. Introduction. Foreword. James K. Whittaker, University of Washington, USA. Introduction: Reviewing International Evidence to Inform Foster Care Policy and Practice. Elizabeth Fernandez, University of New South Wales, Australia and Richard P. Barth, University of Maryland, USA. 1. International Perspectives on Foster Care. June Thoburn, University of East Anglia, UK. Part 2. Placement Movements and Destinations. 2. Five Year Developmental Outcomes for Young Children Remaining in Foster Care, Returned Home or Adopted. Richard P. Barth and Christopher Lloyd, University of Arkansas, USA. 3. The Placement Stability in Foster Care. Fred Wulczyn and Lijun Chen, University of Chicago, USA. 4. Foster Care in the Netherlands: Correlates of Placement Breakdown and Successful Placement. Johan Piet Strijker, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. 5. Profile and Scope of Foster Care in Spain. Jorge Fernandez del Valle and Mónica López, University of Oviedo, Spain. 6. Reunification in Australia: Insights from South Australia and New South Wales. Elizabeth Fernandez and Paul Delfabbro, University of Adelaide, Australia Part 3. The Foster Care Experience: A Life Course Perspective. 7. Very Young Children in Care in England: Issues for Foster Care. Harriet Ward and Emily R. Munro, Loughborough University, UK 8. Fostering Adolescents in England: What Contributes to Success? Elaine Farmer, University of Bristol, UK. 9. Rates of Mental, Emotional, and Behavioural Disorders Among Alumni of Family Foster Care in the United States: The Casey National Alumni Study. Peter J. Pecora, Catherine Roller White, Lee Ann Murdock, Kirk O'Brien, Casey Family Programs, USA, Ronald C. Kessler, Nancy Sampson and Irving Hwang Harvard Medical School, USA. Part 4. Psychological Outcomes and Correlates of Outcomes. 10. What Makes for Effective Foster Care: Some Issues. Ian Sinclair, University of York, UK. 11. Long-term Outcomes of Foster Care: Lessons from Swedish National Cohort Studies. Bo Vinnerljung, University of Stockholm, Sweden, Eva Franzén, Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, Sweden, Anders Hjern, National Board of Health and Welfare, Sweden and Frank Lindblad, Uppsala University, Sweden. 12. Foster Care in Denmark: Comparing Kinship and Non-Kinship Forms of Care. Lajla Knudsen, Tim Egelund and Anne-Dorthe Hestbæck, SFI, The Danish National Centre for Social Research, Denmark. 13. Selected Educational Outcomes for Young People Aged 17–19 Years in Long Term Foster Care in Ireland. Fiona Daly, Irish Association of Young People in Care, Ireland and Robbie Gilligan, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. 14. Can Tutoring by Foster Parents Improve Foster Children's Basic Academic Skills? A Canadian Randomized Field Trial. Robert J. Flynn, Marie-Pierre Paquet and Robyn Marquis, University of Ottawa, Canada. 15. Wellbeing in Foster Care: An Australian Longitudinal Study of Outcomes. Elizabeth Fernandez. Commentary by Robert Flynn. Conclusion. Richard P. Barth and Elizabeth Fernandez. List of Contributors. Index.

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Book SynopsisAdopted children whose early development has been altered by abuse or neglect may form negative beliefs about themselves and parents, and may resist connecting with others. This book outlines how therapeutic stories can help children to heal and develop healthy attachments.With a thorough theoretical grounding, the book demonstrates how to create therapeutic stories that improve relationships, heal past trauma, and change problem behaviour. The story of a fictional family that develops its own narratives to help their adopted child heal illustrates the techniques. This second edition includes updated research on attachment, trauma and the developmental process; a new chapter on parental attunement and regulation; and a new chapter with full length samples of a variety of narrative types.The gentle and non-intrusive techniques in this book will be highly beneficial for children with attachment difficulties. This guide will be an invaluable resource for parents of adopted children and the professionals working with them.Trade ReviewOverall, I found this book to be an interesting and stimulating read. The early chapters refreshed my knowledge and understanding of attachment difficulties, particularly as they relate to adopted children. I found the Family Attachment Narrative Therapy approach and the case examples given fascinating and was pleased that parents were of key importance in developing their own narratives... I would recommend this book both to professionals working with adoptive families, to parents of adopted children and to those with an interest in this area or in therapeutic story telling. -- DebateThis book is a welcome addition to the resources available to not only adoptive parents but also social workers in practice with children and young people with attachment issues. -- RostrumThis book is a discussion and guide on the use of narrative to help children and parents work through difficult behaviour and attachment issues. But it is also much more... This book's emphasis on helping parents do the therapeutic work of building the family as a safe healing space is spot on. -- Children & Young People NowThis book provides a very valuable, innovative resource for adoptive families supporting children with complex, traumatic early life histories. The focus is on empowering adoptive families to support their children with complex, traumatic early life stories. The focus is on empowering adoptive families to support their children, by giving them a thorough understanding of how early life history will affect each child's internal working model... I found this a very exciting, meaningful book. It provides clarity and recognition of the challenges and issues for adopted children with complex, traumatic early life histories. -- Lapidus JournalStories are the currency of life. "Connecting with Kids Through Stories: Using Narratives to Facilitate Attachement in Adopted Children" discusses the importance of stories in forming bonds with adopted children, to children who may not have had the easiest life coming into a caring parent's care.... A strong pick for parenting collections, especially those with a focus on adoption. -- The Midwest Book ReviewThis is a clear, practical, relevant and optimistic book that gives adoptive parents a deeper insight into the lives of their children, and an effective intervention made all the more attractive because it is based on the universally familiar and compelling business of telling stories about life’s most significant emotional experiences. -- David Howe, Professor Emeritus, School of Social Work and Psychology, University of East Anglia, UKThis is a wonderful book that goes to the heart of the matter in healing traumatized adoptees. If adopted kids are to grow and thrive in their adoptive family, the how and why of the arrival into the forever home must be told. Using the context of storytelling to tell the often painful tale is brilliant - even challenging and older children will accept a story. I particularly like the abundant examples of stories, the words of encouragement to parents to get started, the use of narratives to cover all aspects of the aftermath of trauma, the overview of how trauma leaves a child afflicted and the overriding message that underneath all the chaotic behavior is a child desperately trying to tell us the meaning of his or her experiences. Once attune to this meaning, each member of the family can connect. Thus, the meaning of being a part of a healthy family emerges for the adoptee, brothers, sisters and parents. -- Arleta James, therapist, Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, USATable of ContentsForeword. Acknowledgements Legacy of an Adopted Child. Introduction. 1. The Internal Working Model. 2. Putting the Pieces Together: Discovering the Child's Model. 3. Narratives that Bond, Heal and Teach. 4. Parental Attunement and Regulation. 5. Claiming Narratives. 6. Trauma Narratives. 7. Developmental Narratives. 8. Successful Child Narratives. 9. Stories, Stories and More Stories. 10. Conclusion. Appendix A. EMDR. Appendix B. Story Construction Guide. References. Resources and Recommended Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisAttaching in Adoption is a comprehensive guide for prospective and actual adoptive parents on how to understand and care for their adopted child and promote healthy attachment.This classic text provides practical parenting strategies designed to enhance children's happiness and emotional health. It explains what attachment is, how grief and trauma can affect children's emotional development, and how to improve attachment, respect, cooperation and trust. Parenting techniques are matched to children's emotional needs and stages, and checklists are included to help parents assess how their child is doing at each developmental stage. The book covers a wide range of issues including international adoption, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, and learning disabilities, and combines sound theory and direct advice with case examples throughout.This book is a must read for anyone interested in adoption and for all adoptive families. It will also be a valuable resource for adoption professionals.Trade ReviewAttaching in Adoption' is a valuable resource for parents not only as they contemplate building their family through adoption, but also as they travel child's emotionally challenged path towards mental health and happiness. Deborah Gray has described attachment and all of the skills and responses that relate to an individual's attachment style and degree of attachment, and she has done do in a manner easily understood by non-professionals. The chapter on developmental stages is an invaluable tool for parents to assess their child's emotional age and determine what tasks have yet to be mastered. Parents who understand and implement what tasks have yet to be mastered. Parents who understand and implement the wisdom and methods described in this book will certainly strengthen their families! -- Nancy Spoolstra, D.V.M., adoptive and foster parent and Executive Director of the Attachment Disorder NetworkAttaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents' is a brilliantly written sensitive educational journey into the development world of attachment. The book is a comprehensive and clear depiction of the importance of attachment, the challenge faced by parents adopting high risk children, and the negative effects of trauma and grief on the development of a secure attachment. The book reflects Ms. Gray's depth of perception, understanding of child development, empathy, and attunement with the children and families she has served in her therapeutic practice. Ms. Gray provides practical common sense tools for parents that can support them in developing skills that will enhance healthy relationships and connections with their children. Ms. Gray is realistic and honest as she speaks to parents. She empowers them to take charge in a nurturing way. She respects the importance of the balance of nurture and structure. The chapters building emotional intelligence, forming a team of support, and suggestions of when and where to seek professional help prove a hopefulness that there is a way out of the darkness of emotional chaos into the light of safety and trust for children suffering from attachment problems. Although "Attachment in Adoption" is written primarily for parents. I would encourage my fellow professionals to include this book on their "must read" list. It will assist them in their overall understanding of attachment and in their therapeutic work with adoptive parents and children -- Beverly Cuevas, LCSW, ACSW, Co-founder of Attachment Center Northwest, Founding member and Board member of ATTACH, Founding Board member of ADI (Attachment Disorder Institute)Deborah Gray had written an excellent book on parenting adopted children who resist being parented. It is not a cookbook, but rather a comprehensive book on parenting adopted children with attachment problems. That is why it is excellent. Deborah does not take the easy road of simply giving recommendations for various behavior problems. Instead she takes the more arduous route of first trying to help parents understand the meaning of their adopted child's behaviors. After helping parents to understand the reasons for their child's behaviors, she then gives them the tools for developing interventions that are most likely to fit their unique child. Deborah asks us to go beyond concluding that an adopted child has Reactive Attachment Disorder because they manifest a list of symptoms. She asks us first to also understand the impact of grieving and trauma on a child's functioning. She also asks us to know more about the effects of anxiety, cultural changes, and various other diagnoses, such as ADHD, FAE/FAS, and Learning Disorders. Most importantly, Deborah teaches us about the seven stages of attachment, beginning at birth and extending through adolescence, and she helps us to be aware of various interventions that can facilitate development at each stage. Finally, she tells us about emotional intelligence, its failure to develop following early abuse and neglect, and the importance of understanding ways to facilitate it. Deborah's contribution to parenting adopted children with attachment problems is substantial. It is based on understanding and having empathy of the meaning behind a child's symptoms, along with effective, sensitive, and well-matched parental interventions. At the same time, she addresses the necessity of parental self-care, is parents are to persistently provide the quality of care that their adopted child requires.After reading her book, many parents will feel certain that Deborah understands their child and their family. These same parents will also be likely to understand their child more deeply themselves, and at the same time be able to develop the unique practical skills that parenting their child requires. -- Dan Hughes, Ph.D. author of 'Facilitating Developmental Attachment and Building the Bonds of AttachmentDeborah Gray's work captures theory, practicality, and sensitivity toward traumatized children - all in one book. Too many books have only one of these components, and her integration of may important facets of all three, comfortably leads the reader to a clear understanding of how children are hurt and how families help them heal. I will be extremely comfortable recommending 'Attaching in Adoption' to parents and professionals. I also think it is suitable for adolescents to read. It would help them understand so many of their issues - particularly around the entire birth family "web' and issues of shame and self-blame. I like this book! -- Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D., Founder, Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio and co-author of 'Adopting the Hurt Child' and 'Parenting the 'Hurt Child'Gray, a clinical social worker specializing in attachment, grief and trauma, has penned a comprehensive guidebook for adoptive parents, taking an in-depth look at how children and families adjust. The author notes that many of today's adoptions involve older children, who may have been abused or neglected, or who may have spent years in institutions or various foster situations; due to their past experiences these children may have difficulty attaching to their adoptive parents. Explaining that attachment forms the template for future adult relationships, Gray stresses how important it is for adoptive parents to be patient in forging this new bond. She advises creating a high structure/high nurture environment for the child, and instructs parents to find out about their child's background. The book covers many issues, including cross-cultural and interracial adoption, religious concerns and other complications for attaching, such as ADHD and learning disabilities. Gray also includes a detailed exploration of development delays common in kids who have been adopted later in life. While the book is densely written, it will nevertheless be invaluable for adoptive parents. Gray compassionately helps readers form realistic expectations, while offering a myriad of suggestions for families and children striving to form lasting, loving relationships. -- Publishers WeeklyI have no idea what percentage of a personality is determined by genes. I don't know what a percentage of personality is. But if there's anything I can do to load the dice of fate in my child's favor, I will do it. Most adoptive parents feel the same. 'Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents' is for us. I wish this book had been around a decade ago, when my husband and I first started thinking about adoption. I wish it had been around when we brought our daughter home two years later. And I wish it had been around when our daughter was 21 months old and the babysitter quit and a new one started and our forlorn, frantic child screamed all day, every day, for a week.How we searched Penelope Leach, T. Berry Brazelton, Richard Ferber, and all the other illustrious names in childrearing literature! Their advice, while sometimes helpful, didn't quite fit. What we needed was a Deborah D. Gray to set out - in straightforward, unthreatening language - practical tips for responding to the challenges all adopted children face when they leave one home (their birth parents', their foster family's, or their orphanage) and enter another. Our child's adjustment was relatively easy. But if we'd known more, it could have been easier. 'Attaching in Adoption' covers the full range of attachment challenges - from the transitory to the traumatic and from infancy to adulthood. Gray's approach is positive, practical and realistic, providing age-specific advice with clear explanations of developmental stages for adopted children and checking age-specific advice with clear explanations of developmental stages for adopted children and checklists to help parents assess how their child is doing at each stage. The best part, for those of us who adopted before this book was published, is that it's never too late to learn. For those struggling with serious attachment disorders, this book could be a lifesaver. I agree with Nancy Thomas [the author of 'When Love Is Not Enough: A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD] who wrote: 'This is the most comprehensive work on the subject I have ever enjoyed reading...My wish would be that every adoptive parent could read this book before beginning the journey to adopt.' -- Adoptive FamiliesIn 'Attaching in Adoption: Practical Tools for Today's Parents', Deborah Gray is able to translate into the written word the same caring, compassion, and respect that she shows toward both child and parent in her person-to-person contacts. In this book she returns again and again to the importance of both nurturing and structure in working to form close family relationships; the striking part is how well she is able to provide both for parents in the writing of this book. She emotionally nurtures parents while providing clear structure for them in creating a family environment that will promote attachments. In identifying ways to promote attachment, she follows a clear developmental approach, recognizing the needs of children of varying ages and helping parents identify how and where their child might be stuck in earlier stages of development. This is very important aspect of this work; what is necessary at one stage may be inappropriate at another. My favourite chapters of the book, however, are two of the shorter ones. Both fill gaps in the adoption literature for parents. The chapter on 'Trauma and Traumatic Loss' translates the more recent information on the physiologic and psychological effects of trauma, as reported in the professional literature, into material that parents can understand and use in their day to day parenting.The second chapter that I particularly like is the one on 'Building Emotional Intelligence'. In this section, Deborah again takes the material from non-adoption sources and translates it into very practical ideas for adoptive parents to use in helping their child build and maintain healthy friendships. She identifies the gaps that children may have in their skills and provides ideas for remediation. As Deborah points out, "Skill in building and retaining healthy friendships is highly correlated with future happiness in life - much more so than are academic skills."Although this book is primarily written for parents, most professionals in the area of adoption will find a wealth of practical ideas for helping parents be successful in building attachments with their adopted children. -- Vera I. Fahlberg, M.D., author of A Child's Journey through Placement"This is the most comprehensive work on the subject I have ever enjoyed reading. Deborah's incredible insight from her years of experience with difficult kids shines through in this enlightening book. No stone is left unturned in her effort to give a clear understanding of attachment. This book will be a powerful tool to help families with their children wounded by attachment breaks. My wish would be that every adoptive parent could read this book before beginning their journey."Nancy Thomas, founder of Families by Design, parent trainer, presenter, and author of 'When Love is Not Enough -- A Guide to Parenting Children with RAD.'"This positive, but realistic book is an important resource for all adoptive families, at any stage of pre and post-adoption. The information on attachment challenges will allow prospective adoptive parents to understand the possible issues of their new children. Those that have adopted will be able to recognize some behaviors of their children and learn methods of parenting that will help all to achieve success.As an adoptive parent and adoption professional, I found the vignettes heart warming and at other times, heart wrenching, but realistic and achievable within a hectic family setting. The clear explanations of the phases allows parents to easily measure where they are, where their children are and how they can improve their parenting and health of entire family. 'Attaching in Adoption' is also a valuable resource for professionals who work with parents. It will assist them to help parents to manoeuvre the sometimes-challenging path of adoptive parenting. Deborah's focus on the health of the family helps to normalize the specialized skills and techniques taught. -- Yolanda Comparan, MSW, Program Manager, Adoption Resource Center Northwest Region (Seattle) Children's Home Society of WashingtonTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction: Equipping Parents of Children at Risk for Attachment Problems. 1. What is Attachment and Why is it Important? 2. Challenges for Children and Parents. 3. What Children Have Already Learned About Attachment. 4. Grief and Its Effects. 5. Trauma and Traumatic Loss. 6. The Impact of Cultural Change. 7. Other Complications for Attaching. 8. Emotional Development: Promoting Attachment at Every Phase. 9. The Shape of Progress. 10. Relaxing the Grip of Anxiety and Control. 11. The Fairness Factor. 12. Building Emotional Intelligence. 13. Forming a Team of Support. 14. Getting Professional Help. Epilogue. Appendix. Resources. Index.

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Book SynopsisAdopted children who have suffered trauma and neglect have structural brain change, as well as specific developmental and emotional needs. They need particular care to build attachment and overcome trauma.This book provides professionals with the knowledge and advice they need to help adoptive families build positive relationships and help children heal. It explains how neglect, trauma and prenatal exposure to drugs or alcohol affect brain and emotional development, and explains how to recognise these effects and attachment issues in children. It also provides ways to help children settle into new families and home and school approaches that encourage children to flourish. The book also includes practical resources such as checklists, questionnaires, assessments and tools for professionals including social workers, child welfare workers and mental health workers. This book will be an invaluable resource for professionals working with adoptive families and will support them in nurturing positive family relationships and resilient, happy children. It is ideal as a child welfare text or reference book and will also be of interest to parents.Trade ReviewThere are lots of examples and case studies, which makes it easy to understand the concepts described. The author has the ability to bring theory and practice together in a way that is very easy to read and understand... Adoption is a lifelong process and I believe this book can be used through the lifespan of the child, as it would be a handy reference to remind adoptive parents of the challenges their child faces... This book gives a good understanding of the challenges children face when they come into the care system and when they are adopted. It also provides clear and practical guidance on how to support children to rebuild their r relationships and in the process to make them more resilient for the future. A must Read! -- Adoption TodayThis is a very readable, well structured and clearly written book with helpful case examples and a focus on the needs of children at different developmental stages. -- IASW - Irish Social WorkersIn 'Nurturing Adoptions', Deborah Gray delivers an exceptional depiction of the emotional, developmental and neurological impacts of early childhood trauma and neglect. Additionally, she highlights critical areas of assessment that social workers must consider when home studying families prior to placing children who have experienced abuse or neglect. In a field laden with a variety of controversial and coercive methods of working with children demonstrating symptoms of reactive attachment disorder, it is refreshing to see that Deborah not only discourages the early and over diagnosis of RAD, but provides lots of strategies for assessing and working with children and families that are evidence based and sensitive to the development needs of children. My hope is that this book will be read by all social workers and therapists working with foster and adoptive families. We will be making it required reading for our social work staff. Thank you, Deborah, for such a valuable contribution to this field. -- Karen Alvord, L.C.S.W., Executive Director of Lilliput Children's Services, Sacramento, CaliforniaThe "required reading in adoption" list just got longer, and shorter. 'Nurturing Adoptions' is several long-awaited books in one: a deft overview of neglect and trauma's effects of children and families, a collection of practical pearls for adoptive parents, a best practices for child welfare professionals, and a lovely illustration for child therapists of Deborah Gray's state-of-the-art therapeutic approach. While I do enjoy traipsing around the Pacific Northwest to Deborah's fantastic trainings, it's so nice to finally have this material collected in book form, especially one so infused with hope, wry wit, empathy for all involved, and hard-earned practical wisdom. Her previous book, 'Attaching in Adoption', which has been our must-read attachment book for parents and professionals, now has a wonderful new sibling. -- Julian Davies, M.D., Co-Director of The Center for Adoption Medicine, University of WashingtonDeborah Gray, once again, addresses the primary issues that parents and professionals confront when they become involved with hurt children. She has something for just about everyone in the adoption world! Her detailed examination of many cogent issues will help anyone whose life is touched by children and adolescents who have lost so much prior to their adoptions and yet have so much to gain in their new families. Reading Gray's work will leave no stone unturned. -- Gregory C. Keck, Ph.D., Founder/Director of The Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio, Co-author of 'Adopting the Hurt Child' and 'Parenting the Hurt ChildDeborah Gray thinks like a child, both imaginatively and yet very concretely. That's why 'Nurturing Adoptions' is filled with creative ideas and practical suggestions that bring a fresh approach for traumatized children learning to love and trust in an adoptive family. I started to mark the pages of 'Nurturing Adoptions' that contained especially useful ideas and soon found myself in a blizzard of bookmarks. Too much good stuff! -- Mary Ann Curra , M.A., Director of Social Services at World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), Washington StateNurturing Adoptions' is a "must read" for anyone providing therapeutic services to adoptive families. Deborah provides a wealth of information based on current research that enables therapists to help children and their families heal and develop positive relationships. -- Patty Jewell, L.C.S.W., Therapeutic Foster Care and Home Run Program Supervisor, Bethany Christian Services, Indianapolis BranchAt last there is a "how to" book for professionals working with children with the scars of abuse and neglect. Deborah Gray lays out the foundations of research in this field, explaining how and why children respond to stresses of their early lives. From these foundations she helps professionals and families to create a milieu that will build self-esteem, address trauma and grief, and work towards resiliency. Therapists with little experience in this field may not recognize the many issues that are impacting the child's behavior. Often I find that these mental health professionals are at a loss, incompletely understanding the impact of a child's early trauma on their emotional development. Here, as well, is a toolbox to help both adoption professionals who are new to adoption and those with years of experience. This book will be quoted over and over again to my patients, therapists in my community, and even in my home. I plan to have two copies - one to share with families at work, the other to refer to as a parent as I nurture my own children towards coping with their pasts. -- Deborah Borchers, M.D., Pediatrician specializing in adoption and foster care medicine, Adoptive Mom, Cincinnati, OhioDeborah's work in 'Nurturing Adoptions' identifies the importance of considering the biological impact of trauma and neglect in children. She bridges the physiological and psychological effects of traumatic stress that can develop into lifelong emotional or attachment issues. Deborah has the unique ability to give practical context to the challenging outcomes that are reflective of stress, trauma and neglect in children. Her sensitive, insightful writing style draws the reader into her work with ease. Whether you are a parent by birth, adoption or foster care or a professional working with children you will benefit from Deborah's expertise and dedication to families! -- Cindy Haftner, Executive Director, and Leah Deans, Resource Director, Adoption Support Centre SaskatchewanThis is an essential book for professionals and parents! Deborah Gray reviews and explains valuable, current and applicable research. She then goes much further and clarifies the "whys" and "how's". Why are we seeing children and families in such distress and how to we assist them? 'Nurturing Adoptions' offers skill building in assessment, treating, placing, parenting, teaching and loving traumatized and neglected children. Parents and professionals will find important information about building resiliency of children, of families and of professionals. The vignettes used to describe research, techniques and strategies are so thorough and encouraging they can be visualized.Deborah, what a gift you've given to those of us that are committed to and have claimed hurt children. Thank you for sharing you passion with this optimistic resource. As soon as it's available. 'Nurturing Adoptions' will be on my list of "must haves". -- Yolanda Comparan. M.S.W., Owner/Operator, Adoption Referral & Information Service, Mom by Adoption, Washington StateDeborah's book made me sigh with relief. Finally there is a resource that lets us see the big picture. There is risk to focus only on what is diagnosed "on the surface". For example, a child adopted internationally may have RAD or sensory integration disorder. Deborah enlightens us that children are not that simple. She fosters one to stop and think about the child as a whole, how the child is was wired in the womb and how the child's world to date has left an enduring impression. She blends the scientific biomedical research with hands-on easy to understand therapeutic approaches to children who have experience trauma. Both parents and professionals will find this book a blessing. -- Julie K. Keck. M.D., Neurodevelopment Paediatrician, Director of the International Adoption Clinic at Riley Hospital for Children, Indianapolis, IndianaTable of ContentsIntroduction. Part 1. The Issues of Neglect and Trauma in Today's Adoption. 1. The Changing Nature of Adoption. 2. Trauma, Stress, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Interrelationships. 3. Neglect. 4. Traumatic Stress – The Symptom Clusters. 5. Early Relational Trauma, Traumatic Loss, and Effects on Development. 6. Trauma and Neglect – Double Insults. 7. Attachment and Trauma/Neglect. Part 2. Putting the Pieces Together – Restoration after Traumatic Stress and Neglect. 8. Common Ground: What Parents, Caseworkers, Teachers, and Therapists Can Do to Help. 9. The Role of the Child Welfare/Social Worker. 10. The Role of the Mental Health Worker. 11. Structuring Careers and Practices. 12. Creating Resilience in Children and Their Families. Appendices. Glossary. Useful Tools and Exercises. References. Resources and Recommended Reading. Index.

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Book SynopsisThe perfect starting point for parents of transracially adopted children and those who are considering adopting transracially.The Interracial Adoption Option is a personal guide to interracial adoption which draws on the lives and experiences of the authors, a white US couple, who adopt two African-American children. Starting from their decision to adopt their first child interracially, it describes the situations and decisions that followed as a result of their child's racial background. The authors' combine their personal experiences with practical advice. They address common issues like where to live, how to choose a doctor and how to take care of your child's hair and skin. They also tackle difficult questions such as, 'Does race matter?' 'Why is a healthy racial identity important?' and 'What do I do if I suspect my child is being treated unfairly because of his/her race?' An accessible introduction to the complex world of interracial adoption, this book is the first book you need to read if you are thinking of adopting transracially or have done so already.Trade ReviewRarely does a book address the particular challenges of parenting children adopted into a family of a different race. This work eloquently weaves together cutting edge scholarship on racial identity development in children with pragmatic approaches to parenting transracially. Fine and Johnson offer the reader, both parent and adoption professional, a highly accessible map to traverse this previously unexplored terrain of transracial adoption. They provide rich vignettes that boldly and poignantly illustrate the preparation and skills necessary for all involved in the field of transracial adoption. This is a highly valuable contribution to our understanding of adoption across races. -- Kathleen Reardon, Ph.D., MSW, Founder and Co-director, Crossroads Counseling Associates, Harvard, Massachusetts, USAMuch more than an excellent guide to transracial adoption, The Interracial Adoption Option: Creating a Family Across Race is an invitation to the opportunity, joy, and richness of becoming a multiracial family. It underscores how critical it is for white parents of children of color to acknowledge their own privilege and to make a lifelong commitment to guiding their children in developing a healthy racial identity -- and provides a wealth of concrete ideas, examples, and resources for doing so. Fern Johnson and Marlene Fine seamlessly combine the wisdom of scholars with the warmth of loving, adoptive mothers in a beautifully written and accessible book that blends exhaustive research with the fullness of lived experience. -- Kara Mikulich, Adoptive MotherBased on my experience as the adoptive parent of an African-American son, this book succinctly captures the unique rewards and challenges of adopting a child of a different race. Many dilemmas and decisions explored by the authors mirrored my own journey, and made me wish that this book had been written twenty years ago. Their informative and straightforward discussion offers insights for those considering forming a multiracial family through adoption, and for those seeking to understand and support such families. It fills an important gap in the adoption literature and offers insights for all involved with transracial adoptive families. -- Linda Pursley, Adoptive ParentTable of ContentsAcknowledgements. Introduction. 1. Making the Decision to Adopt a Child of Another Race: When Birds of a Feather Might Not Flock Together. 2. Talking about Race and Adoption with Others: You're Doing What?!! 3. Helping Your Child Develop a Healthy Racial Identity: 'Daddy, Why Am I Brown and You're Pink?'. 4. Talking about Race and Adoption with Your Child: 'Mommy, Who's My Real Daddy?'. 5. Navigating School: Homework for Parents. 6. Creating a Support System for You and Your Child: It Takes a Village. Index.

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Book SynopsisWhen you decide to foster, you are faced with many difficult decisions, dilemmas and questions: How do you navigate the daily struggles of foster parenting? How can you nurture bonds with your foster child who is angry, sad, and defiant? How can you prepare to step back when it's time to let go?Foster Parenting Step-by-Step is a concise how-to guide to fostering that summarizes what to expect as a foster parent, and gives immediate practical solutions. It outlines the different stages of a fostering relationship, raising common issues encountered at each age and how to tackle them. It also explains the impact of trauma on your child: how this can show itself through challenging behavior and how to respond to it. This book will provide fostering parents with the skills and knowledge to support the needs of the children in foster care. It will be invaluable not just to foster parents but also to those professionals supporting foster placements.Trade ReviewDr. Gopal has been a lifeline for many children in foster care and their parents and foster parents for many years. [She] is also a well-known speaker and has blessed the National Foster Parent Association with numerous workshop presentations at our annual education conferences. In Foster Parenting Step-by-Step: How to Nurture the Traumatized Child and Overcome Conflict, Dr. Gopal… writes as if she were sitting across the table from you and explaining the incredibly many aspects of foster care and foster parenting. My recommendation is to read the book from cover to cover, taking time to mark those areas that you know you will want to refer to time and time again as you welcome additional children into your home. This new book provides insights and recommendations that will be beneficial to all who chose to provide foster care and/or kinship care. -- From the foreword by Irene Clements, Foster Care Consultant and President of the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), Minneapolis, USAThis useful book is valuable for foster carers (and prospective foster carers) in helping to consider the issues around looking after other people's children who have suffered early difficulties in their lives. It will help any foster carer to work reflectively and consider the options and issues that the child they are looking after is facing, together with ideas about strategies that might usefully be used in understanding and managing situations. As with all good foster care sharing ideas and thoughts gained in studying this book is made more effective by discussion in supervision. -- Jim Bond MBE, Foster Carer and CounselorTable of ContentsQuotes from Foster Children. Preface. Introduction. 1. The Motivational Stage – First Things First! Know What to Expect. 2. The Planning Stage – About Your Family. Are You Prepared? 3. The Welcoming Stage – Getting to Know Your Foster Child. 4. Displacement Trauma. 5. The Adapting Stage – Attachment and Protecting Your Foster Child. 6. The Educational Stage – Parenting Issues and Much More. 7. The Empowering Stage – Successful Evidence-Based Strategies. 8. The Letting Go/Adopting Stage. Resources and Useful Addresses. Bibliography. Index.

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Book SynopsisCapturing the warmth and fun of forming close relationships with children, this book offers simple advice to parents of children who find it difficult to attach and bond - whether following adoption, divorce or other difficult experiences.Attachment therapist Deborah D. Gray describes how to use the latest thinking on attachment in your daily parenting. She reveals sensory techniques which have proven to help children bond - straightforward activities like keeping close eye contact or stroking a child's feet or cheeks - and explains why routines like mealtimes and play time are so important in helping children to attach. The book offers positive ideas for responding to immediate crises like difficult behaviour and meltdowns, but importantly also offers longer-term strategies to help children to develop the skills they need to cope as they grow up - the ability to plan, concentrate and be in control of their emotions. Offering fascinating insights into how children who struggle to attach can be helped, this book is full of easy-to-use ideas which will help you to enjoy the many pleasures of bonding and attaching with your child.Trade ReviewDeborah has provided us with a highly practical book aimed at helping parents to parent in a way that promotes attachment security. This book is full of wisdom and clear suggestions for parenting children with a range of insecurities across a range of ages from toddlers to teens. Whilst there are some UK/USA differences, there really is something for everyone here. I especially liked the focus on parents taking care of themselves and the way that all behavioural management suggestions are provided within the context of providing warm, nurturing care that promotes connection, security, and self esteem. When these qualities are central within parenting our children will grow to successful maturity able to fulfil their potential. -- Kim Golding, Clinical Psychologist with Worcestershire Health and Care NHS TrustA must read for parents! Informative and practical knowledge for parents about two critical aspects of childhood development; emotional intelligence and attachment. -- Dr. Sue Cornbluth, Clinical Psychologist and Professor of Psychology at Temple University, Philadelphia, USAThis is a lovely, practical, wise book that parents will find helpful on many levels. The author seamlessly integrates attachment concepts, brain science, and concrete examples of parent-child interactions to provide a well-spring of hands-on guidance for raising resilient, secure, emotionally intelligent kids. I highly recommend it. -- Jonathan Baylin, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Broudy and Associates, Wilmington, DelawareAttaching Through Love, Hugs, and Play is an invaluable resource for parents wanting to deepen their relationship with their children. For struggling parents, Attaching Through Love, Hugs and Play provides an accessible resource for understanding what is driving their children's challenging behaviours. More importantly, in this volume, Deborah Gray provides a practical playbook for bringing joy and laughter into the parenting relationship! -- Dr. Karyn Purvis, Director of the Institute of Child Development, TCU, Fort Worth, TexasIn Attaching Through Love, Hugs, and Play, Deborah Gray focus on parenting skills that develop strong secure attachments needed for children to be willing to turn to a special adult or adults for protection, calming and reassurance of their worth. Gray provides a wealth of concrete examples of how touch, play, language, structure and limit setting can be employed to strengthen the nurturing parent-child connection that is the foundation of pre-social child development. Any parent, foster parent or adoptive parent who is helping an abused or neglected child recover from early trauma and/ or neglect will find a wealth of invaluable practical guidance in Attaching Through Love, Hugs and Play. Public child welfare agencies should consider making Deborah's Gray's books widely available to foster parents and adoptive parents who are desperate for guidance in parenting children whose early histories have left a legacy of fear, anger and distrust of caregivers. -- Dee Wilson, Director, Child Welfare Services, Casey Family Programs, Author of the Sounding Board commentariesThis easy-to-read book has much to offer to adopters or step-parents about how to develop attachments... Parents will find many examples of everyday behaviour that they face alongside practical strategies to illustrate how to respond helpfully, especially for children whose early experience include trauma, abuse or loss... As the title suggests, t values sensory approaches to forming emotional connection, using touch and play to help provide nurture and regulate emotional states... Overall this is a very rich and positive book, which presents a well-informed, humane, evidence-based view of parenting strategies that will enhance attachment. it is likely to be valuable resource, especially for parents of children who have had adverse early experiences. -- Alison Paddle, Independent social worker * Seen and Heard *Table of ContentsDedication. Introduction. 1. Close Connections: Attaching and Bonding. 2. Put Your Oxygen Mask on First 3. Teaching Children to Calm, Care, and Think: Behavior and Daily Routines. 4. Helping Children with Thinking and Caring. 5. "Carrots and Sticks", Rewards and Limits. 6. Life Stories. 7. Promoting Attachment in Tweens and Teens. Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisHow do you create an adoption portfolio that will show prospective birth families why you are the perfect adoptive parent for their child? Do you know which pictures to include and which to leave out? Do you really understand what prospective birth parents care about? This is a step-by-step guide to creating a portfolio which will reflect your personality, make a strong positive impact and encourage the right birth family to choose you. Madeleine Melcher shares the secrets she has discovered over years of creating successful portfolios, profiles and prospective birth parent letters. She combines simple and effective design ideas and tips for writing and layout with a deep understanding of how portfolios work. Importantly, this book also draws extensively on the experiences of birth mothers and the professionals who support them to examine what they are really looking for, featuring questions which prospective birth mothers will want to see answered in your portfolio. From text to design, this guide will give you the confidence to create a portfolio that sets you apart. It is essential reading for prospective adoptive parents, as well as adoption attorneys and adoption agencies advising those hoping to adopt.Trade ReviewMadeleine Melcher's expertise and guidance in creating an adoption portfolio made parents and satisfied customers out of me and my partner. This book will make the process of adopting less intimidating and the end result, parenthood, more accessible to those who want to adopt - a win-win situation for both prospective parents and children who need homes. It's a beautiful thing, a true gem. -- Beth Vollmer, adoptive parent, USAWorking with Madeleine was wonderful. She designed our adoption portfolio and we were chosen just two days after its completion. We are grateful for her knowledge and understanding of what prospective birth parents want to know about you. Her book will give you the tools needed to create a portfolio that will stand out among the rest. -- Allison and Kendall Sidorsky, adoptive parents, USAAs a birthmother and the co-founder of BirthMom Buds, I was honored to be a part of Madeleine's book. Madeleine does a great job of giving a voice to expectant mothers considering adoption and through her book educates adoptive parents on how expectant mothers considering adoption think and feel, which will in turn build healthier relationships amongst birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees. -- Nicole 'Coley' Strickland, Co-Founder of www.birthmombuds.com, USAYou're told over and over that the profile is the single most important piece in an adoption - the only way to truly represent yourself to potential birthmothers - and this can be really daunting. When faced with the challenge of making an adoption portfolio or profile, the only tool you needs is Madeleine's new book! It's like having her right there alongside you for this incredible journey, as we in fact did. Madeleine created two of our adoption portfolios, which both ended in successful adoptions. Our fourth adoption happened very quickly - and our son's birthmother still tells us over a year later, that it was all because of our portfolio. Thank you Madeleine for putting this into a book. -- Rawley and Gus Tziavias, adoptive parents, USAMs. Melcher's book assisting families with writing their Dear Prospective Birthparent letter and Adoption Profile gives not only the "how to", but an educational experience as well. She discusses what pregnant couples are looking for in an adoptive family to raise their child, the importance of keeping contact agreements between the two families that must be honored (even though many states now have legally binding contracts), and different designs and text to create their profile. Dear Birthmother letters have been used for quite some time but the additional need now for a booklet makes this a timely book for everyone considering an adoption placement. The workbook at the end further assists prospective adoptive families. How To Create a Successful Adoption Portfolio is very insightful, well thought out and helpful. -- Maxine Chalker, MSW/LSW, Founder, President & CEO, Adoptions From The Heart, USAHow-to" tells you something."Why-to" tells you more. Way more.This book will tell you both.At a time when there is so much confusing advice about adoption, Ms. Melcher "gets it. -- Birney Bull, adoption attorney, Savannah, GA, USA, www.AdoptNeed.comFor families who are feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of writing an adoption or family profile this book is a great place to start... Very easy to read and follow it touches on all the bases, knowing your audience, remembering the guidelines set forth by your agency or attorney, the importance of photos etc. This book is a great place to start and makes the task of writing an adoption profile much more manageable. -- Wordpress.comAs an adoptive dad of two-and starting the process to adopt #3-my wife and I have created several adoption profiles (aka portfolios). We had guidelines to follow from our agency and we got better at creating them but after getting Madeleine's book, we found a great process for creating the best profile. She does an amazing job teaching about how to start, what you need to know, writing your letter to a prospective birthmother, how to layout the pages and (in my opinion) the most important part-how to make your profile unique.I highly recommend getting the book. A HUGE bonus in the book is that it contains a wonderful workbook in the back that takes you step by step through creating your portfolio. Good stuff! This WILL help you. -- Tim Elder of InfantAdoptionGuide.comTable of Contents1. Introduction - "I understand...". 2. What is an Adoption Portfolio? 3. Before You do Anything Else... 4. What Prospective Birthmothers are Looking for. 5. Get Your Camera Out Now! - Pictures ARE Important! 6. Writing Your Text and Preparing for Layout: Insight and Samples by Page. 7. Speciality Text Issues. 8. What Will Your Design Say about You? 9. Ways to Create Your Portfolio. 10. Your Final Review - Getting a Fresh Set of Eyes. 11. Printing Choices Make a Difference. 12. Marketing Yourself Making Use of Your Portfolio. 13. Letting Go. 14. Your Dream CAN Come True. 15. Workbook Questions for Core Pages.

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Book SynopsisThe Foster Parenting Manual is a comprehensive guide offering proven, friendly advice for novice and experienced parents alike. Distilling many years' experience into one book, John DeGarmo combines his own wisdom with that of fellow foster parents. He describes what to expect from the process, how to access help and how to ensure the best care for your child. He tackles thorny issues such as children's use of the Internet and social media, managing contact with birth parents and how to support your child at school. Most importantly, he provides advice designed to help your child feel safe, secure and loved.The Foster Parenting Manual offers seasoned, sympathetic advice that will be valued by foster parents and the professionals who support them.Trade ReviewDeGarmo, an experienced foster parent of more than 30 children, fills the gap in current, quality literature on foster parenting with this concise yet comprehensive guide for potential foster parents or those affected. Beginning with a short history of the practice, he helps readers understand who foster children are, how best to understand their challenges and struggles, and how to establish rules and expectations in a home, as well as considerations for working with caseworkers and birth families... VERDICT For anyone considering becoming a foster parent, this title is esstential reading, full of rich advice. Unequivocally recommended. -- Library Journal, starred reviewJohn DeGarmo's new book, The Foster Parenting Manual exceeds expectations! Realistic and honest, it effectively describes the foster care system with discernment, describes being a foster parent and a foster family clearly and compassionately and it describes the children in the foster care system with empathy, sensitivity and truthfulness. It is an honor to endorse this book. -- Irene Clements, Foster Care Consultant and President of the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), Minneapolis, USAThis is a unique book for people doing a unique job of fostering children which explains the subject simply and pragmatically. The gift of this book is the way it dispels the myths surrounding fostering and should help to lessen the anxiety around caring for someone else's child and also children who can struggle to accept care. It also provides carers with practical and reassuring guidance - encouraging positive outcomes in what can be a difficult yet rewarding partnership. The real-life examples support research in the field, and provide non-fostering adults a glimpse into the world of foster families and families themselves with insights and guidance from peers. This book is a fostering manual for the modern age and supports good learning for us all. -- Gradle Gardner Martin, Foster Care and Social Work Trainer, Elevate Training and Development Ltd, London, UKJohn DeGarmo is one of foster care's most promising experts. His new book The Foster Parenting Manual: A Practical Guide to Creating a Loving, Safe, and Stable Home is an essential resource for any foster parent or foster care professional. DeGarmo's detailed knowledge of foster care coupled with a smooth delivery ensures the reader of an informative and entertaining reading experience. -- Chris Chmielewski, Owner and Editor, Foster Focus magazine, Pennsylvania, USAJohn DeGarmo's latest book, The Foster Parenting Manual is a valuable reference for both prospective and new foster carers, written from the carer's perspective. Whilst some material in the manual may be specific to the foster care system in the United States, the book contains many practical suggestions on how to manage the day to day interactions with a foster child in a way that assists the child. The book is easy to read and could be used as a basis for a series of training sessions for new carers. Caseworkers would benefit from the book's perspective on many of the issues that carers face. The book points to the universality of the issues societies face in raising children who are separated from their families and the critical importance of providing them with supportive care. -- Scott Bray, Life Without Barriers, AustraliaThe Foster Parenting Manual: A Practical Guide to Creating a Loving, Safe and Stable Home lays the foundation of understanding for potential and current foster parents. It answers all the questions up front, so people can easily determine if fostering will be the right path for them. DeGarmo covers all of the important topics, including allegations, grief and loss and so much more… The manual is a must-read for anyone considering foster parenting. -- Kim Phagan-Hansel, Editor of Adoption Today & Fostering Families Today, Colorado, USAThe author as an experienced foster carer himself acknowledges how difficult placements can be and the many challenges it may have on the foster carer's family life... This is an excellent aid for both foster carers and prospective foster carers as well as professionals who are responsible for placing children. -- Aileen Dunne, children's guardian and independent social worker * Seen and Heard *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements. Foreword by Mary Perdue, Former First Lady of Georgia. Introduction. 1. Foster Care: Children, Parents, and Caseworkers. 2. The History of Foster Care. 3. Training. 4. Placement: What to do Beforehand/How to Prepare. 5. Problems Foster Children Face. 6. Creating Rules and Expectations. 7. Your Foster Child and His Development. 8. Foster Children and School. 9. Working with Caseworkers. 10. Birth Parents and You. 11. Protecting Yourself and Family. 12. Finding Help as a Foster Parent. 13. When a Foster Child Leaves. 14. Adoption. 15. Resources. Index.

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Book SynopsisTherapeutic Residential Care For Children and Youth takes a fresh look at therapeutic residential care as a powerful intervention in working with the most troubled children who need intensive support. Featuring contributions from distinguished international contributors, it critically examines current research and innovative practice and addresses the key questions: how does it work, what are its critical “active ingredients” and does it represent value for money? The book covers a broad spectrum of established and emerging approaches pioneered around with world, with contributors from the USA, Canada, Scandinavia, Spain, Australia, Israel and the UK offering a mix of practice and research exemplars. The book also looks at the research relating to critical issues for child welfare service providers: the best time to refer children to residential care, how children can be helped to make the transition into care, the characteristics of children entering and exiting care, strategies for engaging families as partners, how the substantial cost of providing intensive is best measured against outcomes, and what research and development challenges will allow therapeutic residential care to be rigorously compared with its evidence-based community-centered alternatives. Importantly, the volume also outlines how to set up and implement intensive child welfare services, considering how transferable they are, how to measure success and value for money, and the training protocols and staffing needed to ensure that a programme is effective.This comprehensive volume will enable child welfare professionals, researchers and policymakers to develop a refined understanding of the potential of therapeutic residential care, and to identify the highest and best uses of this intensive and specialized intervention.Trade ReviewWhittaker, Del Valle and Holmes, together with their contributors, address key challenges related to how well-designed, short-term group care interventions can help children address severe emotional and behavioral conditions. Their careful attention to treatment design and measurement showcase strategies that can be readily applied to improve service quality and outcomes. -- Peter J. Pecora, School of Social Work, University of Washington, USAThis book makes an important contribution to one of the critical issues in the field of child welfare. It engages with many of the challenges of caring for very troubled young people who require resource-intensive support. -- From the Foreword by Robbie Gilligan, Professor of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College, DublinTable of ContentsForeword by Robbie Gilligan, Trinity College, Dublin. Part 1. Introduction. The Current Landscape of Therapeutic Residential Care: James K Whittaker, Jorge F. del Valle and Lisa Holmes. Part 1. Pathways to Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 1, Making Sense of Differential Cross-National Placement Rates for Therapeutic Residential Care: Some Take Away Messages for Policy, June Thoburn, Professor Emeritus, University of East Anglia and Frank Ainsworth, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia. Chapter 2. Needs and characteristics of high-resource users: Spain, Jorge F. del Valle, Amaia Bravo and Ana Sainero, University of Oviedo,Spain. Chapter 3. Needs and characteristics of high-resource using children and youth: North America, John Lyons, University of Ottawa, Canada, Chapter 4. Benarand characteristics of high-resource using children and youth: Denmark, Mette Lausten, Danish National Centre for Social Research, Chapter 5. Part 2. Promising Program Models and Innovative Practices. Varieties of Nordic Residential Care, Turf Jakobsen, Danish National Centre for Social Research, Chapter 6. MultifunC - Multifunctional Treatment in Residential and Community Settings: Norway, Tore Andreassen, Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, Chapter 7. The Family Home Program: An Adaption of the Teaching Family Model at Boys Town, Ronald W. Thompson, Director, Boys Town National Research Institute and Dan Daly, Executive Vice President and Director of Youth Care, Boys Town, Nebraska, Chapter 8. A New Era in the Development of Therapeutic Residential Care in the State of Victoria: Australia, Patricia McNamara, La Trobe University, Australia, Chapter 9. Evidence-based Practices in Therapeutic Residential Care, Sigrid James, Loma Linda University, California, Chapter 10. Creating and maintaining family-staff partnerships in Residential Treatment Programs: Shared Decisions, Full Participationm Mutual Responsibilty, Richard W. Small, The Walker School, Massachusetts, Christopher Bellonci, MD, Tufts University, Massachusetts and President, American Association of Children's Residential Centers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Susan Ramsey, The Walker School. Part 4. Preparing Youth For Successful Transitions from Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 11. Relationship between Adult Outcomes of Young People Making the Transition to Adulthood from Out-of-Home Care and Prior Residential Care, Nathanael Okpych and Mark Courtney, University of Chicago, Chapter 12. Supportive Pathways for Young People Leaving Care: Lessons Learned from Four Decades of Research, Mike Stein, University of York, UK, Chapter 13. Listening to young people in care in Israel: a brief note from research about successful transitions to adulthood, Anat Zeira, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Part 5. Critically Examining the Current Research Base for Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 14. Uncovering What is Inside the 'Black Box' of Effective Therapeutic Residential Youth Care, Annemiek T. Harder, Assistant Professor and Erik Knorth, University of Groningen, Netherlands, Chapter 15. Improving the Research Base for Therapeutic Residential Care: Logistical and Analytic Challenges Meet Methodological Innovations, Bethany R. Lee and Richard P. Barth, University of Maryland, USA. Part 5. Calculating Costs for Therapeutic Residential Care. Chapter 16. Estimating Unit Costs for Therapeutic Residential Care, Lisa Holmes, Centre for Child and Family Research (CCFR), Loughborough University perspectives and commentaries by: Richard W. Small and Christopher Bellonci: North America, Laura Palareti, University of Bologna and Chiara Berti, University of Chieti-Pescara: Italy, Andrew Kendrick, University of Strathclyde: Scotland, Frank Ainsworth and Deirdre Cheers: Australia. Part 6. Linking Focused Training and Critical Evaluation in Therapeutic Residential Care: A Foundation for Staff Support. Chapter 17. Helping staff to connect quality, practice and evaluation in therapeutic residential care: the SERAR model in Spain, Amaia Bravo, Jorge F. del Valle & Iriana Santos, Child and Family Research Group, University of Oviedo, Spain, Chapter 18. A European perspective on the context and content for social pedagogy in therapeutic residential care, Hans Grietens, University of Groningen, Netherlands, Chapter 19: Engaging the total therapeutic residential care program in a process of quality improvement: Learning from the Care Model, Martha Holden, Michael Nunno and Charles Izzo, Cornell University, New York and James Anglin, University of Victoria, Canada, Chapter 20. Outcomes Management in Residential Treatment: The CANS Approach, John Lyons, University of Ottawa, Canada. Part 8. Conclusion. Shaping the Future for Therapeutic Residential Care, James K Whittaker, Jorge F. del Valle and Lisa Holmes

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Book SynopsisFoster children are more likely than other children to be involved in risky activities online due to backgrounds of neglect and abuse, an absence of supportive adults, lower self-esteem, and greater exposure to drugs and alcohol. Covering all the dangers of online technology that your foster child might encounter, from cyberbullying and "sexting", to child grooming and online hoaxes, this book pays particular attention to dangers unique to foster families, such as the difficulties internet access poses for maintaining formal arrangements for contact with birth families. DeGarmo equips foster parents and professionals with strategies to keep foster children safe online, giving tips on establishing expectations for internet usage, advice on how to prevent inappropriate contact and protect personal information, and explaining the importance of "netiquette". An indispensable guide to negotiating online dangers, this is required reading for all foster families as well as residential child care workers, social workers and other professionals working with children in care.Trade ReviewI'm grateful to Dr. John DeGarmo for tackling this overwhelming and frustrating topic. He has made it easy to understand both the pitfalls and the positive learning experiences associated with technology and social media. The information in this book is vital to everyone who works in the foster care system or who develops training programs for the children and youth in care. -- Irene Clements, President, National Foster Parent Association, USA“Keeping Foster Children Safe Online should not only be on the nightstand of every foster parent - it should be in the hands of every parent whose children are online." -- From the Foreword by Kim Hansel, Editor, Adoption Today and Fostering Families TodayThis book provides a wealth of information, good and ghastly, about the dangers and risks that foster carers, adoptive and biological parents, teachers, youth workers, social workers and others who work with, teach or live with preteens and adolescents really ought to know!... This book should be read and re-read and information shared... Having been a foster carer myself, I cannot highly enough recommend this book to anyone who lives or work with young people - not just foster children. -- Nurturing Potential, Potential UnleashedDeGarmo looks at the positives of internet use but also explores in detail the "nastiness" of the cyber-world we all know about... the addition of case studies brings the realities of this to life... this is an invaluable resource and should be required reading for all parents and everyone in the children's workforce. -- REES Centre NewsletterTable of ContentsForeword. Preface. Introduction - It's a Digital World. 1. Sex, Violence and Scams. 2. Establishing Ground Rules. 3. Social Networking. 4. Texting and Sexting. 5. Cyberbullying: Beyond the Playground. 6. Contact with Birth Parents. 7. Sexual Predators. 8. Access to Drugs, Alcohol and Cigarettes. 9. Apps and Video Games. Conclusion. About the Author. Resources. References. Glossary of Terms.

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Book SynopsisThis is a book of real life stories of adopters which takes the reader through every stage of the adoption process starting with the moment when they decide that adoption is the right option for them to the stories of adoptees brought up by adoptive parents.In between, the book looks at all the different types of adoption that are carried out by all sorts of families from all sorts of children of every race and age and with every kind of problem. They range from babies who are only days old when they are taken into an adoptive family to teenagers with a multitude of psychological and physical problems. The book looks at both the success and failure of these adoptions.Its aim is to inform and enlighten professionals, adopters, potential adopters and all those whose lives have in some way been touched by adoption or want to know more about it.In 15 chapters it includes more than 70 real life stories which are all told from the heart sometimes in a moment of crisis and sometimes at a time of joy. They are not analysed, they are true stories about how it feels to be at the centre of adoption. All the stories, which have been recounted over the past 10 years, are reflective of adoption today in Britain.The book also includes a chapter on the legal aspects of adoption and a further chapter of useful information and addresses.Trade ReviewWould that there had been such a book when our sons were little, especially when we added a seven year old with emotional and behavioral difficulties to the family. I hope that everyone involved in adoption will be aware of the existence of this book, since it covers the actual experience of adoption form every aspect... Those who have contributed to this rich collection of personal experiences have been generous in sharing their hopes and fears: the good moments and the moments of utter despair and even failure... Like any book that is a compendium of writings, it would be easy to imagine that people, for whom adoption was a painful experience, would not have a voice here. This might be true to some extent but there are accounts of adoptions that failed, and times when tracing a birth-parent did not bring complete happiness. There are stories that might have been painful to write but can shed light on what it means to be an aopder or an adoptee, such as the story of the family whose badly damaged son suddenly seemed to thrive, and went on to become a successful business and family man, only to committ suicide at 27. This book should be required reading for all social workers, teachers, would be adopters, adopters and their doctors. For years adoption was a family secret for the birth-mother and the adopters. Now we are passed that stage it is important that the stories be heard. -- Mental Health Care and Learning Disabilities.The most appealing aspect of this book is that it consists of actual stories from actual adopters, incorporating every part of the adoption process from the 'short moment of pure joy and excitement for most potential adopters when they first decide that they want to adopt' to their feelings about their children seeking a reunion with their natural families or simply leaving home. The accounts, taken from this very journal over the past 10 years, have a rare honesty about them, resulting in an unadulterated insight into both the joys and the nightmares that adoption can bring. It is for this reason that I would describe it as a must for anyone considering adoption - including professionals - whose life has already been touched by adoption. Read from start to finish, it is as compelling as any novel, but the way the accounts are separated into themes such as "You want to adopt" and "Telling, tracing and the need to know more" - each with an introduction by the editor - also makes it a volume that can be accessed as a reference book. -- Adoption UKThis collection of first hand experiences of adoption has been compiled by Adoption UK. It is aimed primarily at adopters and prospective adopters and has the express aim of encouraging those who are thinking about adoption to consider it more seriously. However, it will be of general interest and offers an engaging and informative read for anyone interested in the adoption process and the issues it raises. Adoption UK believe that all children have a right to a family life, and lament the number of children who still wait for suitable adopters- particularly black children, older white children and children with disabilities. Through adopters own experiences the book covers the decision to adopt and the process of adoption, the adoption of school children and adolescents, children with a physical or learning disability, children who have been abused, adoption by single parents and gay couples and race and adoptions. -- ChildrightTable of Contents1. You want to adopt. 2. First meetings, first months, falling in love - good times, bad times, bonding. 3. Adopting babies and toddlers. 4. Adopting schoolchildren. 5. Taking on an adolescent. 6. Adopting children with a physical or mental disability. 7. Adopting a physically or sexually abused child. 8. Unusual adopters - single parents, unmarried couples, homosexuals, adoption over birth choice. 9. Adoption and race. 10. Openness in adoption. 11. Attached or unattached, the ongoing problem. 12. The nightmare - when an adoption breaks down. 13. Telling and talking. 14. Tracing. 15. The birth mother's story. 16. What adoptees say. Appendix 1. Legal issues. 2. Index of organisations.

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Book SynopsisRecently there has been a renewed interest in family placement, its effectiveness and its value for money. What Works in Adoption and Foster Care? reviews changes in policy and practice and will assist managers and practitioners in family and childcare social work to make decisions based on sound evidence about where to place children and what sort of practice is likely to bring about the desired outcomes for children, birth relatives, foster carers and the adoptive family. The authors explore the factors that research indicates are likely to be associated with positive outcomes, how practice can be evaluated and what outcome measures can be used, and also look at the shortcoming of this research.

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Book SynopsisWritten specifically for young people, and with colour illustrations throughout, this guide offers practical tips for children on how they can have a say in how they are cared for, including their review meetings. The guide was written following extensive consultation with children and young people in care.The guide includes a description of the care planning process, advice on how children and young people can have more say in decisions about all aspects of their care, what to do if they are unhappy, and where to go for extra help. Practitioners who will find this resource useful include care workers, social workers, LAC team managers, care homes, Independent Review Officers and carers/parents.

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Book SynopsisWritten specifically for children and with colour illustrations throughout, this guide offers practical tips for children on how they can have a say in how they are cared for, including their review meetings. The guide was written following extensive consultation with children and young people in care.The guide includes a description of the care planning process, advice on how children and young people can have more say in decisions about all aspects of their care, what to do if they are unhappy and where to go for extra help. Practitioners who will find this resource useful include: care workers, social workers, LAC team managers, care homes, Independent Review Officers and carers/parents.

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive anthology exploring research, policy and practice issues, written by a range of child placement experts.

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Book SynopsisA user-friendly guide for all those involved with moving children on to adoptive placements.

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Book SynopsisThe story of a gay couple's journey to adopting a child.

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Book SynopsisA must-read for any parent seeking to support their adopted child through school.

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Book SynopsisWhat constitutes a family? Tracing the dramatic evolution of Americans' answer to this question over the past century, this volume provides the account of modern adoption's history. It details efforts by the US Children's Bureau and the Child Welfare League of America to establish adoption standards in law and practice.Trade Review"Kinship by Design is a masterful work carved out from a gigantic mountain of primary and secondary sources. I am confident that it will take its place as the best-researched and most original book on the history of American adoption published to date." - E. Wayne Carp, author of Family Matters"

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Book SynopsisWhat constitutes a family? Tracing the dramatic evolution of Americans' answer to this question over the past century, this book provides an account of modern adoption's history. It also details efforts by the US Children's Bureau and the Child Welfare League of America to establish adoption standards in law and practice.Trade Review"Kinship by Design is a masterful work carved out from a gigantic mountain of primary and secondary sources. I am confident that it will take its place as the best-researched and most original book on the history of American adoption published to date." - E. Wayne Carp, author of Family Matters"

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis unique volume highlights a major public health problem: the plight of vulnerable children in the foster care and homelessness systems. Within a social justice framework, Cheryl Zlotnick and her contributors give these children a voice to express the oppression, bias, racism, and power differentials underlying their care. By viewing these children as members of transitional families, this book describes how to reduce treatment disparities and unify service systems. It is a must-read that will change your views of how to best understand and care for these children. -- Ellen L. Bassuk, founder, The National Center on Family Homelessness A well-researched and valuable addition to the literature on homelessness... This book should help increase awareness of the needs of this very vulnerable population. PsycCritiques An important contribution to the field of child welfare. Journal of Children and Poverty [The book] complements well developmental research... But, it does much more as it provides compelling examples for other organizations and professionals to help foster children and families in need. Journal of Youth and AdolescenceTable of ContentsIntroduction Part I. Theories of Practice with Transitional Families 1. Transitional Families: Where Do I Begin?, by Cheryl Zlotnick and Luann DeVoss 2. "We Don't Get Whuppings Here Anymore": Toward a Collaborative, Ecological Model of Parenting, by Marguerite A. Wright 3. Giving Voice: An Exploration of the Integration of Social Justice and Infant Mental Health, by Erica Torres and Kathryn Orfirer Part II. Preparing the Organization for Its Work with Transitional Families 4. Letting Some Air into the Room: Opening Agency Space for Considerations of Culture and Power, by Lisa R. Berndt 5. Rediscovering Positive Work Relationships Within a Diverse Relationship-Based Organization: Serving Children in Transition, by Karen Thomas Part III. Promising Programs and Culturally Informed Interventions 6. Transforming Shame: Allowing Memories in Foster Care to Inform Interventions with Foster Youth, by Lou Felipe 7. Crossing the Border and Facing the System: Challenges Immigrant Families Experience When a Child Is Removed from Their Care and Placed into the Child Welfare System, by Rosario Murga-Kusnir 8. "I Am Bad!", by Roberto Macias Sanchez 9. "When Do I Get to Go Home?", by Peggy Pearson 10. The CATS Project: Helping Families Land on Their Feet, by Vance Hitchner Part IV. Needs for the Future 11. A Systems Dilemma: Intergenerational Foster Care and Homelessness, by Cheryl Zlotnick List of Contributors Index

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