Foster Talk

By Emily Garringer (Emily Garringer and her husband Matthew are foster parents who work with the KidsPeace Foster Care office in Muncie, Indiana.  She reflects on the ways her experience…

Four years ago, we had our first foster placement arrive - with about two hours’ notice and as much information as the caseworker had (information, BTW, that ultimately ended up…

Part 3 – Getting Through the Challenging Times Foster parenting will have its challenging moments that are beyond our control:  a child’s behavior may backslide because of changes with his…

Part 2 – Your foster care journey, as a partnership … Once a couple is approved as foster parents and has a placement in the home, the focus may shift…

Part 1 – Beginning the adventure…  Parenting takes a good deal of time and energy.  Having a healthy marriage/relationship is important for parenting in general, and even more so for…

Most people have heard of traditional foster care, which gives youth a safe and stable home environment after they are removed from their home of origin. Foster parents in this…

One of the most consistent hallmarks of being a foster family is uncertainty. We never quite know how long a placement will be with us, or what is going to…

Parenting is hard work. It takes patience, forgiveness, diligence, consistency, unconditional love, and so much more. Parenting a child from trauma is even harder work. Extreme behaviors, intense feelings, and…