Adoption/Foster Care

Kids need safe places to live, and safe places to play. For some kids, this means living with foster parents. In simple words and full-color illustrations, this book explains why some kids move to foster homes, what foster parents do, and ways kids might feel during foster care. Children often believe that they are in foster care because they are "bad." This book makes it clear that the troubles in their lives are not their fault; the message throughout is one of hope and support. Includes resources and information for parents, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and teachers.

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Divorce and remarriage can create multiple sets of grandparents and step-grandparents. Silas' grandparents enjoy exposing him to a variety of interests, values and cultures. Problems arise when Silas feels he can't please everyone. Ultimately, Silas' sensitive, inclusive nature brings everyone together. Ages 4-8

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This is an endearing story of a young Aboriginal foster child who is given a special gift by his foster mother. Her gift of warmth and thoughtfulness helps her young foster children by encouraging self-esteem, acceptance and love. Written as a simple story, it speaks of a positive foster experience. The character of the foster mother advocates pride: "She told me that my background was Native and that it was a good thing to be." This book will pull your heartstrings, similar to Munsch's classic children's story "Love You Forever". Written for children of any background, with its positive message of unconditional love. You will feel warmed after reading this story, like slipping into a cozy pair of moccasins.

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A Guide for Grandparents This book addresses the legal, educational, parenting and social challenges of parenting the second time around. With chapters on grandparent and grandchild emotions, special needs, health and self-care, as well as an interactive Workbook section, this book is the definitive book for the rising numbers of grandparents who find themselves raising their grandchildren.

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A Survival Guide for Raising a Second Family If you're among the millions of grandparents raising grandchildren today, you need information, support, and practical guidance you can count on to keep your family strong. This is the book for you. Learn effective strategies to help you cope with the stresses of parenting the second time around, care for vulnerable grandkids and set boundaries with their often-troubled parents, and navigate the maze of government aid, court proceedings, and special education. Wise, honest, moving stories show how numerous other grandparents are surviving and thriving in their new roles. Updated throughout, and reflecting current laws and policies affecting families, the second edition features new discussions of kids' technology use and other timely issues.

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Join Drew and his dragon to understand what it means to be a foster child and the many issues, questions, and feelings they have that are affected by Foster Care. This book helps children cope with changing families, being removed from a home, and how to navigate the fears and feelings going into Foster Care. Educators and parents will find this book a great tool to help kids open up to discuss negative behaviors, as well as understanding and gaining trust for adults involved such as social workers, parents, lawyers, and therapists. This book affirms children that they're loved and the adults involved are lending the helping hands.

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Represents a variety of families, some big and some small, some with only one parent and some with two moms or dads, some quiet and some noisy, but all alike in some ways and special no matter what.

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finding common ground and accepting and appreciating each other's differences When a thunderstorm shakes their woodland home, the Squirrelly family must flee their nest for a hollow in an oak tree. To their surprise, the McMunk family had the same idea. The squirrels chipmunks must find ways to live together. With important lessons in compromise, they realize that life is better together.

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A Book About Adoption & Families In a kid-friendly, accessible way, this book explores the ways that people can choose to come together to make a family. It's about sharing your home and sharing your heart to make a family that belongs together.

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A Guide to Healing Trauma and Thriving with Your Foster or Adopted Child Children who have been adopted and/or shuttled through the foster-care system experience trauma at a much higher rate than other kids, which can make it difficult for them to trust, relax, regulate their emotions, and connect with their new families. As a parent, learning how to heal attachment trauma, attune to your child's needs, identify triggers, and create felt safety is essential to providing the loving, supportive, and stable home they need to thrive. Written for parents of adopted and foster kids of all ages, this book offers resources for handling common concerns like sleep issues, food sensitivities, anger, fear, and reactivity. It also provides guidance on navigating transracial adoptions, working through parents' own hang-ups, and recognizing signs of developmental and psychological conditions.

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In this classic work, Nancy Verrier examines the life-long consequences of the 'primal wound' - the wound that results when a child is separated from his or her mother - for adopted people, as they grow up & into adulthood. It provides information about pre- & perinatal psychology, attachment, bonding & the effects of loss.

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Trauma-Informed Guidance and Action ChartsTraumatized children rarely respond to traditional parenting strategies, but once you understand the impact of trauma on children you can master 'developmental re-parenting' strategies which do work - by validating their feelings, boosting self-esteem and encouraging open and honest conversations. The book includes 35 action charts to addresses some of the very hardest challenges for parents and carers - from inappropriate sexualzed behaviour and over-familiarity with strangers to tantrums, food issues, and deception. Written by an experienced adoptive parent who is also a qualified social worker with expertise in trauma-informed parenting.

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An Adoption Story In this classic adoption picture book for children, common issues in adoption are addressed from the enduring force of a birth parent's love and contact post-adoption to the importance of nurturing an adopted child in his or her new environment. It is a timeless and enduring tale of sacrifice, wisdom and love. This book is ideal for reading aloud with adopted children aged 5-10 and their siblings, whether at home or in school.

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Choco was a little bird who lived all alone. He wished he had a mother, but who could his mother be? He sets off to find her, asking all kinds of animals, but he doesn't meet anyone who looks just like him. He doesn't even think of asking Mrs. Bear if she's his mother-but then she starts to do just the things a mommy might do. And when she brings him home, he meets her other children-a piglet, a hippo, and an alligator-and learns that families can come in all shapes and sizes and still fit together. Keiko Kasza's twist on the "Are you my mother?" theme has become one of the most highly recommended stories about adoption for children

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Sam has a joyful story to tell, one completely her own, yet common to millions of families -- the story of how she was adopted. Most of all, it's a story about love. And in the end, Sam's story comes full circle, inviting young readers to share stories of how they were adopted.

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Written in an honest approachable way, Foster Care will encourage children entering or already in foster care and help them understand that they are not alone. All the characters have different circumstances which brought them into foster care. Together they talk through their stories and realize this is right where they need to be for now, under the caring watch of their foster mom.

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A rhyming, light-hearted celebration of the different ways a family can grow. This warm appreciation of love invites the youngest readers to share in the joy and excitement of expecting families. The lyrical, rhyming text subtly references pregnancy, surrogacy, and adoption, gently touching on the different ways a family can grow. The book's celebratory yet comforting tone incites both appreciation and understanding, leaving readers with a lasting message of unconditional familial love. Includes a simple glossary at the end.

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A Book for Children Experiencing Termination of Parental Rights All families change over time. Sometimes a baby is born, or a grown-up gets married. And sometimes a child gets a new foster parent or a new adopted mom or dad. Children need to know that when this happens, it's not their fault. They need to understand that they can remember and value their birth family and love their new family, too. Straightforward words and full-color illustrations offer hope and support for children facing or experiencing change. Includes resources and information for birth parents, foster parents, social workers, counselors, and teachers.

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This timely and sensitive title helps define a family, from members related by birth to stepparents and same-sex parents. Children will learn that loving families look after each other, even if they sometimes disagree or argue.

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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. The Author describes how to use the thinking on attachment in your daily parenting. She reveals sensory techniques to help children bond 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.

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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.

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Develop Confidence, Strength, Resilience on the Path to Adulthood This workbook teaches powerful self-resiliency, mindfulness, and somatic skills to help you explore your unique identity as an adopted teen. You'll find tools to manage loss and grief, and activities that include checklists, contemplation, skill-building, and journaling to help you chronicle present, past, and future relationships with both your adoptive and birth parents.

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Today is a very unusual day! Caroline wakes up late, forgets her socks, and feels strange all the way to school. She tries to help her teacher, but everything is mixed up today and all Caroline manages to do is make a great big mess. Finally, the school day ends and Caroline rushes outside to greet her parents, who are having a rather extraordinary day themselves. In their arms they hold Caroline's new baby sister, who has just arrived from far away.

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When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways - but the same in the one way that matters most of all. One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One has many stepsiblings, and another has a new baby in the family. As her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them - family of every shape, size and every kind of relation - the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, it is special. Ages 4-7

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