For years, foster care has been misunderstood, unfairly judged, criticized through local media and television shows, and the subject of harsh headlines. It’s time to set the record straight…
We desire to hide our deepest wounds. And rightfully so. We’ve been taught that wounds equal failure. As parents we fear the words “I told you so,” if we revealed our struggles on this journey. But what if our wounds didn’t equal failure? What if they did something bigger than we could imagine?
Have you ever found yourself frustrated with your child’s case-manager? Sometimes it can seem like we are on totally different planets from case-managers when it comes to the many decisions being made about children in our care. What are they thinking? Where are they coming from? This week, we welcome our good friend, Megan Stroup, Founder and Director of Helen’s House in Marian, Indiana, which specializes in supervised visitations and case management. Before founding Helen’s House, Megan worked in the Department of Child Services for 11 years. Megan is also an adoptee and mom of three. Megan shares with us today
Foster care has gained a global spotlight over the past few years thanks, in part, to movies and media coverage. Many people are choosing this path. But, there’s a right reason and a wrong reason to choose this journey.
There’s a beginning and an end to everything. It’s one of the natural rules of life. Foster care is no exception. But, how do you know when it’s time to hang up the license and be done?
On the road of foster care and adoption, you and I will encounter many well-meaning people who may not be so well-meaning. How do you respond to people whose words or actions are highly offensive to you?
We were foster parents for 9 years. They were extremely long and difficult at times. To be honest, we almost quit, especially when it seemed that we couldn’t take one more day. But looking back we are eternally grateful that we didn’t give up. We would have missed out on several big blessings!
Due to technical difficulties we will not be posting a new podcast today. Click here to listen to recent episodes. We apologize for this inconvenience. We are pleased to share a recent post that Mike did for Disney’s Babble.com on some of the myths of foster parenting. You can follow his work with Babble by clicking here.
Over the last few years we’ve written several posts geared toward helping case managers and workers understand the perspectives of foster parents. The content gave thousands of people in the trenches a voice. But in the process, we had many case managers reach out and share insightful information that would help foster parents on the journey.
If there’s one thing that pays the price the most in foster care (or adoption), it’s the health of your marriage. How do you maintain the most important relationship you have and care for the children who have been placed in your home?
