Foster Parenting E-Magazine, March 2013
Foster Parenting Announcements
Photolisting: Now is the perfect time to raise foster and adoption awareness. If you have your own blog or website, perhaps you would like to add our Photo Listing Widget to help raise awareness of foster children nationwide.
Would you like to help more children from your agency get adopted faster? Click here for a form to add children to our photolisting. This service is FREE to all states and includes a team of technical support and customer service staff to maintain the Photolisting.
Don't see any children from your state? Please contact your local officials to let them know you would like to see children from your state.
Blogging: Interested in Blogging? We're currently looking for volunteer bloggers for the following categories: Foster Adoption and Foster Care. This may be the perfect time to voice your adoption experiences and share with our community.
Working Together With Social Workers
As a foster parent, you know how much time you have to spend working with social workers. You may find them to be a huge blessing or an annoyance. No matter how you feel about them, the truth remains. You have to work together with them, and it's better if there is positive and respectful interaction from the very beginning, even when you feel the social worker is overstepping her boundaries or putting unneeded pressure on you. Here are a few tips to keep in mind and put into practice as you're working together with your foster children's social workers.
The Child's Best Interest - Social workers are assigned foster children for a purpose. They're there to keep the children's best interests in mind. However, this doesn't mean you don't have the children's best interests in mind. Instead of thinking of it as a competition between you and the social worker, think of it as two people in your foster children's corners. Everyone can use a few people rooting for them and working together with a common goal in mind.
Find the Motivation - On your path of being a foster parent, you will not always agree with a social worker's advice or actions. However, it's important to understand the motivation behind that advice. There's a reason for it, so it's up to you to find that reason. This will help you understand the social worker better and appreciate her hard work more.
Don't Be Accusatory - If there is a problem or an action backfires, it's important that you don't immediately accuse the social worker and place blame. Being accusatory right away will cause the social worker and yourself to become defensive and unwilling to budge or compromise. Remember, this is about your foster children. Keep every discussion calm and respectful and all parties will benefit.
It's Her Job - Remember that your foster children's social worker is just doing her job. It may be frustrating, but she is doing what she needs to do. She is bound by laws, accepted practices, and regulations, and that can be a large part of the motivation behind her actions. Keep that in mind. She may not like some of the actions she has to take, but it's her job. Simple as that.
Voice Your Concerns - If you have any concerns, voice them. You have that right and that responsibility. Voicing your concerns isn't the same as starting a fight or argument. Do so respectfully and directly. The social worker should understand that when you voice your concerns, you're doing so out of love of the children.
Be an Example - Your foster children are watching what you do and listening to what you say. Take working with a social worker as an opportunity to be an example on how to treat others, even if you don't particularly like her or agree with her views. Your foster children will mimic your behavior, so make sure that behavior is worthwhile.
As long as you're a foster parent, you'll have to work in tandem with social workers for the betterment and protection of your foster children. If you can start the social worker-foster parent relationship off on the right foot in the beginning, you'll most likely experience a much easier road in the long run.
The Adoption Photolisting
Hoping to Adopt? Create Your Profile Today and get 30 Days FREE!
Sign up with Parent Profiles to create your adoption profile today and start connecting with expectant and placing parents. Your profile will be featured on many of the best known adoption websites. Mention you saw this ad or when completing your paperwork use code PPCN and we will give you 30 days free*.
*Contact ParentProfiles.com for details.
The information and links displayed above relate to profile posting services provided on the ParentProfiles.com web site, which is a service of Adoption Profiles, L.L.C., who sponsors this section and is solely responsible for its content.
Foster Parenting Blogs from AdoptionBlogs.com
First Days Stress Free Welcome For New Children
This month we will celebrate 3 years since the “Littles” came to live with us. I got lots of help and advice before they arrived... more
Loving Them Enough
Yesterday I was talking to my support partner about our little ones. He, per usual, listened attentively and then repeated something... more
Foster Parenting Community, News & Events
Foster Parent Support - BTDT bio wanting you to adopt
Foster Parent Support - We are getting a two day old baby girl
Foster Parent Support - Concurrent Planning- Are we CRAZY???
Add your non-marketing adoption related event at no cost. Get started today by registering for an account.
Foster Parenting Tip of the Month
There are many children in foster care who have special needs. Don't let the financial burden of caring for these children hold you back. Sometimes you can get financial help to care for these wonderful children in need. This financial help will ease the financial burden that may occur with medications, doctor visits, and surgeries.
In Your Words
Foster:Out in the world
Look up in the sky
My family exists
And I'm gonna try
To search from a cloud
And see all the land
To search from my heart
And think from within
The days the months
The wear and tear
The patience I need
Is not always there
I know one day
They will appear
I just have to wait
Until maybe next year
Just be good
Take things slow
You'll meet them
When it's your time to go
- Clifford
Share Your Thoughts with Us
Have something to share in the next issue of the emag? Please use the form below to tell us about your thoughts, comments, experiences, feedback, etc. Your submission may appear in an upcoming issue of the emag.
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